The US Army Contracting Command—Detroit Arsenal has published a market survey seeking companies that can supply components for M2A2 ODS-SA Bradley infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) headed to Ukraine—parts that original manufacturers have stopped making. The posting asks for firms with immediate access to the components or a realistic plan to restart their production, Militarnyi reported.

Maintaining Western armored vehicles in active combat has strained repair chains throughout the war, with licensing requirements and long lead times slowing restoration of battle-damaged equipment. When components go out of production entirely, the problem shifts from delayed repairs to no repairs at all.

Parts nobody makes

The survey targets components affected by what the command calls an aging manufacturing base. Original suppliers have discontinued production of multiple subsystems, including turret drive control units, transmission control modules, heater mounts, ammunition chutes, specialized Dialight Corp lens assemblies, and other structural, electrical, and mechanical parts unique to the M2A2 ODS-SA.

The posting is not a tender and does not guarantee a contract. Its stated goal is to identify companies that can either deliver the parts now or credibly restart production.

Restoring and sustaining Bradleys for Ukraine

The parts shortage creates a two-stage problem. Before Bradleys can be shipped to Ukraine, the US military refurbishes them at its depots—restoring each vehicle to combat-ready condition under a standard called Fully Mission Capable + Safety. Without the discontinued components, that refurbishment stalls.

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The same parts are also needed to keep Bradleys already fighting in Ukraine on the road. The posting specifies that field servicing must proceed without delays caused by parts shortages—meaning the crisis affects both the pipeline into Ukraine and the fleet already there.

Potential contractors must demonstrate repair and technical validation capabilities, supply chain management, and the ability to quickly resume manufacturing of parts that no longer have a producer. The command requires a detailed transition plan with a timeline from contract signing to the delivery of the first restored vehicle.

The US also plans to involve the future contractor in training Ukrainian military mechanics. The contractor would develop courses, manuals, and provide specialized tools and equipment—including instruction on armored recovery vehicles.

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The 25-mm cannon, stops T-72s, if the turret still turns

The M2 Bradley carries infantry into combat and mounts a 25-mm M242 Bushmaster cannon that fires up to 500 rounds per minute and can defeat Russian light armored vehicles and the side and rear armor of main battle tanks. The US has supplied more than 200 Bradleys to Ukraine under the previous administration, with combat losses mounting across multiple frontline sectors.

Separately, the US Army presented XM30 infantry fighting vehicle candidates at the Michigan Defense Expo 2026—the program is eventually designed to replace the Bradley.

Ukraine is retiring a Soviet chemical-scout vehicle in favor of one it built itself. Ukraine's National Guard has received the first Ukrainian radiation and chemical reconnaissance vehicles on the armored Tisa chassis, replacing the outdated Soviet UAZ-469RKh, National Guard commander Oleksandr Pivnenko announced.

The vehicle is a step in Ukraine's shift from Soviet legacy equipment to its own modern designs. Developed to National Guard specifications for current battlefield conditions, the armored scout allows crews to survey and monitor contaminated zones without leaving the protected vehicle.

What the vehicle does

The vehicle carries radiation and chemical reconnaissance instruments, an automated system for collecting and processing information, a weather station, modern communications, and satellite navigation, all of which enable real-time data collection and transmission to assess a situation and make decisions faster.

The mission is early warning of invisible threats. The task of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) units is to detect radiation, chemical, and biological threats in time, determine the extent of contamination, and quickly pass the information to command.

"The safety of soldiers, the completion of combat tasks, and the protection of the civilian population depend on the speed and accuracy of this work," Pivnenko said.

The armored base is the upgrade

The Tisa chassis is what sets the new vehicle apart from its Soviet predecessor. The light-armored Tisa is built on the Toyota Land Cruiser 79 platform and meets the NATO STANAG 4569 protection standard, providing ballistic and mine protection that the open-topped UAZ never offered.

The vehicle is equipped for hard conditions. It carries night-vision systems and air ventilation and filtration systems, letting the crew work in contaminated or dangerous environments while staying protected. The filtration matters especially for a CBRN vehicle: it lets the crew operate inside a sealed, over-pressured cabin in exactly the toxic zones the vehicle is sent to scout.