Profile
- Type
- Tracked cavalry fighting vehicle
- Conflict side
- United States
- Origin
- United States
- Service note
- Cold War design still in U.S. Army service
Armored Vehicles
M3 Cavalry Fighting Vehicle
The M3 Cavalry Fighting Vehicle is the Bradley family's tracked reconnaissance variant, built to carry scouts, radios, and anti-tank missiles. In the United States-Iran Conflict, U.S. Army M3s were photographed operating in CENTCOM during Operation Epic Fury.
- Conflict side
- United States
- Built by
- BAE Systems
- Built in
- United States
Service History
- In service
- Entered U.S. Army service in 1981 as the cavalry/scout Bradley variant.
- Used by
- U.S. Army
- Wars
- United States-Iran Conflict
Production History
- Designer
- United Defense
- Designed
- 1970s
- Built by
- BAE Systems
- Built in
- United States
- Produced
- 1981-present
- Number built
- 2,083 M3 variants by the end of 1994
- Variants
- M3A1, M3A2, M3A3
Specifications
- Crew
- 3 crew + 2 scouts
- Armament
- 25mm M242 chain gun, 7.62mm M240C coaxial machine gun, twin TOW missile launcher
- Weight
- 50,000 lb
- Mobility
- 600 hp Cummins VTA-903T diesel; road speed 45 mph; amphibious
- Range
- 300 miles
- Protection
- Welded aluminum hull with spaced laminate armor
Conflict Usage
- United States-Iran Conflict
- Side: United StatesRole: Armored reconnaissance and security overwatch
U.S. Army M3 Cavalry Fighting Vehicles operated in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility during Operation Epic Fury in the United States-Iran Conflict.
M3 Cavalry Fighting Vehicle Images
Related Weapon Systems
BMD-1Airborne amphibious infantry fighting vehicleThe BMD-1 is a Soviet airborne infantry fighting vehicle built for paratroop units, combining a very light amphibious tracked chassis with the BMP-1-style 73 mm 2A28 Grom gun and anti-tank missile armament. Its low weight and hydropneumatic suspension made it air-droppable, but the same design priorities left limited armor protection. In the Russia-Ukraine War archive, it is documented through Ukrainian Air Assault Forces service around Kramatorsk and Sloviansk in 2014.
BMD-2Airborne infantry fighting vehicleThe BMD-2 is a Soviet airborne infantry fighting vehicle built for paratrooper units, combining a very light amphibious tracked chassis with a 30 mm 2A42 cannon and anti-tank missile launcher. Its air-droppable design gives Russian VDV formations mobile fire support, but the same weight limits leave the vehicle lightly protected against modern anti-armor weapons and artillery fragments documented in Ukraine.
BRM-1KTracked armored reconnaissance vehicleThe BRM-1K is a Soviet tracked armored reconnaissance vehicle derived from the BMP-1 chassis, combining amphibious mobility with surveillance equipment and a reduced 73 mm armament. In the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict it appears in Armenian/Artsakh service as a visually documented reconnaissance vehicle loss category during the 2020 war.
M113 with AML-90 TurretImprovised tracked fire-support vehicleThe M113 with AML-90 turret is a Yemeni field conversion that combines the tracked M113 armored personnel carrier hull with the turret and 90 mm gun associated with the Panhard AML-90 armored car. In the Yemen Civil War it appears as a limited, improvised direct-fire vehicle rather than a standardized production variant.
9K114 ShturmRadio-command anti-tank guided missile systemThe 9K114 Shturm is a Soviet radio-command anti-tank guided missile system built around the 9M114 Kokon missile and known to NATO as AT-6 Spiral. Designed by KBM Kolomna for attack helicopters and the MT-LB-based 9P149 Shturm-S carrier, it combines SACLOS guidance, a fast missile, and a roughly 5 km baseline range. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Russian 9P149 vehicles have been captured or displayed as battlefield trophies, while Ukrainian units have shown Shturm-S use and modernization efforts to keep the system relevant for anti-armor missions..jpg?width=480)
Ka-52Attack and reconnaissance helicopterThe Ka-52 is a Russian two-seat attack and reconnaissance helicopter derived from the Ka-50 and built around a coaxial rotor layout, side-by-side crew cockpit, 30 mm cannon, and guided-missile hardpoints. In the Russia-Ukraine War it became one of Russia's most visible rotary-wing strike platforms, especially in southern Ukraine where Ka-52 and Ka-52M crews used longer-range anti-tank missiles against Ukrainian ground forces.Sources
Guard welcomes most advanced BradleyPublisher: BAE Systems | Note: Supports Bradley manufacturer/background context and identifies the M3A3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicle within BAE Systems' Bradley production line. | Accessed: 2026-06-20M2A3 and M3A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle Systems (BFVS)Publisher: Federation of American Scientists | Note: Supports M3 CFV mission, crew, armament, mobility, protection, and production background. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Centcom Commander Says Epic Fury Crippled Iran, Enhanced Military Partnerships in RegionPublisher: U.S. Department of War | Note: Supports United States-Iran Conflict conflict-use: three Army M3 Cavalry Fighting Vehicles were fielded by the U.S. Army in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility during Operation Epic Fury. | Accessed: 2026-06-20U.S. Army Soldiers Conduct Operations in the Middle EastPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports United States-Iran Conflict conflict-use: M3 Cavalry Fighting Vehicles were fielded by the U.S. Army in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility during Operation Epic Fury. | Accessed: 2026-06-20