The M2 Bradley, or Bradley IFV, is an American infantry fighting vehicle that is a member of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle family. It is manufactured by BAE Systems Land & Armaments (formerly United Defense) and entered service in 1981, with fielding beginning in 1983. The Bradley is designed for reconnaissance and to transport a nine-man rifle squad, providing them protection from small arms fire, while providing firepower to both suppress and eliminate most threats to friendly infantry. It is designed to be highly maneuverable and to be fast enough to keep up with heavy armor during an advance. The M2 holds a crew of three: a commander, a gunner, and a driver, and can carry six fully equipped soldiers as passengers. These infantry fighting vehicles are currently in service with the armies of Croatia, Lebanon, Russia (captured from Ukraine), Saudi Arabia, the Ukraine, and the United States.