The US Army is asking around to see who can supply hard-to-find parts for Ukraine's Bradleys

Bradley infantry fighting vehicles have been a key piece of kit for Ukraine.

GENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty Images The US is looking for ways to source rare and obsolete parts for Ukraine's Bradley fighting vehicles.

The Army flagged specialized components affected by "vendor obsolescence." It is interested in firms that can immediately access the parts or show how they would source them.

The US Army is taking stock of industry's ability to source rare or obsolete parts needed to keep Ukraine's Bradley infantry fighting vehicles running, according to a recently posted notice.

The M2 Bradley, an armored combat vehicle, first entered service with the US military in the 1980s and has seen action in several major wars since.

In Ukraine, these American-made vehicles have repeatedly proven their worth by transporting assault infantry, engaging Russian armor , carrying out ambushes, and serving in a light-tank role, though they have also suffered losses.

The US Army is surveying industry to see which companies can effectively access, source, or potentially reproduce hard-to-find parts for the vehicles.

US Army Contracting Command - Detroit Arsenal issued a sources-sought notice last week seeking out defense firms that could support the ongoing repair, parts procurement, and delivery of the M2A2 ODS-SA Bradley.

The Army said firms would need either immediate access to the components or a viable plan to source them and asked companies to explain how they would "navigate severe supply chain bottlenecks and vendor obsolescence for legacy defense systems." The M2A2 ODS-SA is a modernized variant of the M2 Bradley.

Ukraine received these via arms transfers, but not the newer M2A3 or M2A4 variants.

The notice said that interested parties "must demonstrate immediate access to, or a viable plan to source, highly specialized, legacy, variant-specific components currently impacted by supplier obsolescence," including turret drive control units and transmission control modules.

It identified ammunition chutes, specialized target-acquisition-system hardware, military-grade lens lights, and vehicle fasteners among the parts contractors might need to be able to find or reproduce.

The Army is also looking for a contractor that can train Ukrainian mechanics and provide the equipment, tools, and materials required for relevant training.

Bradleys first arrived in Ukraine in 2023 and have been praised as a success , even as other armored vehicles, which arrived in smaller numbers, struggled.