U.S. Army Bradley Sharpens NATO’s Warfighting Edge for High-Intensity Conflict in Europe.

A U.S. Army M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle engaged simulated enemy forces during Exercise Combined Resolve 27-01 in Hohenfels, Germany, in imagery announced by DVIDS and taken on October 18, 2026, underscoring how American armored formations are sharpening their combat readiness for high-intensity warfare alongside NATO allies. Built to combine protected mobility, battlefield survivability and decisive firepower, the Bradley brings a potent mix of a 25mm cannon, TOW anti-tank missiles and coaxial machine-gun support to mechanized operations. Its ability to move infantry under armor while engaging both dismounted and armored threats reinforces the U.S. Army’s role in strengthening NATO’s capacity to fight, maneuver and respond at speed across an increasingly contested European battlespace.

A U.S. Army M2 Bradley engages a simulated enemy at Hohenfels, highlighting NATO’s focus on armored interoperability and high-intensity warfare readiness (Picture Source: U.S. Army)

American armored combat power is being tested against the demands of an increasingly complex battlefield as U.S. forces train alongside allies at one of Europe’s most important multinational combat training centers. A U.S. Army M2 Bradley assigned to 6th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment was photographed engaging a simulated enemy during Exercise Combined Resolve 27-01 at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany. The training underscores a wider requirement facing the United States and NATO: forces must be ready, interoperable and equipped with combat-credible capabilities capable of deterring and defending against conventional and asymmetric threats.

The M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle remains a central component of U.S. mechanized combat power because it combines protected mobility, battlefield communications and substantial direct-fire capability in support of infantry maneuver. Army references identify the Bradley’s armament as including the 25mm M242 automatic cannon, TOW anti-tank missiles and a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, giving crews the ability to engage infantry, fortified positions and armored threats while supporting dismounted soldiers. More important than specifications alone is the Bradley’s operational role: it gives commanders a platform able to move with armored formations, deliver protected infantry where required and contribute significant firepower during offensive and defensive maneuver. In a European security environment where NATO must be prepared for high-intensity operations, that combination of mobility, protection and lethality remains highly relevant.

Related Topic: U.S. Army M2 Bradley Could Gain Rafael SPIKE LR2 Anti-Tank Firepower Without Replacing Its TOW Launcher

Combined Resolve 27-01 also demonstrates that the Army is evaluating combat power as more than the performance of individual vehicles. The Combined Resolve series is characterized by the U.S. Army as its “premier warfighting and transformation laboratory,” with the training intended to generate measurable improvements in lethality through rapid technology integration and data-driven evaluation. Other Army reports released during the exercise emphasize continuous adaptation to modern battlefield threats and the rapid integration of commercial technologies into brigade combat teams. In that context, the Bradley becomes part of a larger combat system connecting armored maneuver with reconnaissance, infantry, unmanned systems, electronic warfare, communications and command-and-control. The significance is clear: proven armored platforms remain valuable, but their future combat effectiveness increasingly depends on how rapidly they can be integrated into a force that can detect threats, share information and deliver effects faster than an opponent.

That transformation is particularly important as armored forces face threats extending far beyond enemy tanks and anti-armor weapons. Low-cost unmanned aircraft, electronic warfare, persistent surveillance and rapidly distributed targeting are reshaping how heavy formations move and survive, forcing militaries to adapt tactics and technology at greater speed. The U.S. Army is already examining how existing systems can respond to this changing threat environment, including work involving the Bradley’s 25mm weapon against unmanned aircraft threats. Training at Hohenfels provides more than conventional armored maneuver practice: it gives formations an opportunity to identify vulnerabilities, integrate emerging capabilities and test how established platforms can remain effective inside an increasingly connected and contested battlespace.

For NATO, the value of Combined Resolve lies equally in interoperability and credible collective defense. The Joint Multinational Readiness Center provides a demanding environment in which American and allied formations can expose weaknesses in communications, maneuver, command relationships and battlefield integration before those shortcomings are tested in an actual conflict. U.S. Army reports associated with Combined Resolve 27-01 stresses the requirement for U.S. and allied forces to remain ready and postured with combat-credible capabilities, while related exercise imagery shows armored formations, infantry and counter-drone activity operating within the same broader training environment. Deterrence is not created by a single Bradley or one exercise; it is built through trained formations, capable equipment, resilient command structures and allied forces that can operate together as an integrated combat force.

The image of a 6th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment M2 Bradley engaging a simulated enemy at Hohenfels captures a broader shift taking place across U.S. and NATO land forces. Combined Resolve 27-01 is not simply validating established armored tactics; it is helping turn proven platforms, emerging technologies and multinational formations into a more adaptable and connected fighting force. For the United States and its NATO allies, that process strengthens deterrence by demonstrating that armored combat power can continue evolving alongside drones, electronic warfare and other emerging battlefield threats. The strategic value ultimately lies in transforming individual vehicles, crews and technologies into formations capable of fighting together at speed, ensuring that NATO possesses not only military equipment, but the readiness, interoperability and combat credibility required to defend the Alliance in an increasingly demanding security environment.

Explore More Defense News

• Land Defense News
• Naval Defense News
• Defense Aerospace News

Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.