The Bradley vehicles entered service in 1981 to keep pace with the Soviet BMP-1 as replacements for the M113 armored personnel carrier. Although it appears similar to the M2, which is designated an Infantry Fighting Vehicle, the M3 Bradley is classified as a Cavalry Fighting Vehicle and mainly serves a reconnaissance role. It carries a crew of five, as opposed to the M2’s seven-person crew, but also holds twice the ammo. The M3A2 variant is capable of mounting explosive reactive armor (ERA).