U.S. Army Conducts High-Intensity Winter Live-Fire Training with M2 Bradley Vehicles in Lithuania
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U.S. Army armored crews conducted high-intensity winter live-fire training with M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles in eastern Lithuania in January 2026. The drills reinforced NATO deterrence readiness near Belarus and Kaliningrad by validating cold-weather combat procedures for armored forces.
A DVIDS report and accompanying imagery released on January 11, 2026, document winter gunnery training conducted by M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles and M7A1 BFIST crews from the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, at Lithuania’s General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area. Carried out in snow-covered terrain near Pabradė, the live-fire events focused on sustaining crew proficiency and validating cold-weather operating procedures for armored formations. The training took place in a strategically sensitive sector near Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, underscoring the unit’s readiness to operate in austere conditions while supporting NATO’s deterrence posture on its northeastern flank.
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U.S. Army armored crews conducted high-intensity winter live-fire training with M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles in Lithuania, reinforcing cold-weather combat readiness and NATO deterrence near the alliance’s eastern border (Picture Source: DVIDS)
The exercise underscored how deep-winter challenges shape combat preparedness for rotational U.S. forces deployed to the Baltic region. Against a landscape of snow, ice and freezing fog, Bradley crews rehearsed synchronized maneuvers and target engagements, validating winter maintenance protocols and battle drills under realistic operational stress. Soldiers from Alpha Company, 3rd Brigade Engineer Battalion, and 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment used the opportunity to test their ability to sustain fire support and maneuver in degraded visual environments, where optics fog, batteries fail, and hydraulics slow under freezing temperatures.
Central to the training were the M2 Bradley IFV and its precision-fire support counterpart, the M7A1 BFIST, working in tandem across the white terrain. The M2 Bradley, armed with a 25 mm Bushmaster chain gun, TOW missile launcher and coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun, brings rapid, stabilized firepower and dismounted infantry support into the tactical equation. Its enhanced armor and mobility make it viable in contested terrain, whether forested, marshy or urban. In contrast, the M7A1 BFIST uses the same chassis but replaces troop-carrying space with advanced sensors, laser targeting, and digital fire-support communications – allowing it to call for and coordinate indirect fires with precision. Together, they offer a blend of direct and indirect lethality essential for complex combined-arms maneuver in high-threat areas.
The U.S. Army’s choice to rehearse in Lithuania is strategic. The General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area has emerged as a critical proving ground for NATO forces, combining Baltic climate extremes with proximity to potential flashpoints. Since the mid-2010s, exercises like Saber Strike and Iron Wolf have made Lithuania a familiar theater for Bradley units. What distinguishes this January 2026 rotation, however, is its operational realism: harsh weather, frozen terrain, and interoperability with Lithuanian forces all reinforce readiness for warfighting, not just training.
In tactical terms, tracked platforms like the Bradley outperform wheeled systems in Lithuania’s winter geography. Deep snow, soft ground, and narrow forest trails favor vehicles that can pivot, reverse, and hold position without losing traction. With thermal sights and integrated command-and-control systems, Bradley crews can engage targets against low-contrast snowfields, even in twilight or darkness. These capabilities surpass Soviet-era BMPs or older Western IFVs still in service across parts of Eastern Europe. The BFIST’s networked fire-support capabilities, meanwhile, feed directly into NATO artillery architectures, making it not just a battlefield observer but a critical node in the Alliance’s kill chain.
Winter training by U.S. armored units in Lithuania supports deterrence where it counts most. Pabradė lies within operational range of the Suwałki Gap, a corridor that any major conflict scenario would render decisive. For adversaries, the sight of Bradley crews qualifying in sub-zero conditions just miles from key terrain sends a deliberate message: the U.S. Army is not just present but combat-capable year-round. For allies, it builds trust and interoperability at the ground level, aligning procedures, communications, and mutual understanding under NATO doctrine.
Rather than a scripted display, the 1st Cavalry Division’s gunnery in January reflects a broader trend in U.S. Army Europe’s posture: making rotational presence indistinguishable from permanent combat readiness. By anchoring training to environmental and geographic realities, rather than calendar cycles, the Army is building a credible force capable of responding to short-notice contingencies in the Baltics. It also reflects a shift in doctrine, where persistent forward-deployed units do not merely deter through presence, but through practiced and demonstrated lethality in theater.
As tensions persist across NATO’s eastern frontier, the integration of proven platforms like the Bradley with climate-adapted training and digital fire support networks is giving the U.S. and its allies an edge. Each crew that qualifies in Lithuanian snow strengthens not only the unit but the Alliance’s broader ability to fight and win in the very terrain where conflict would likely unfold.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
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U.S. Army armored crews conducted high-intensity winter live-fire training with M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles in eastern Lithuania in January 2026. The drills reinforced NATO deterrence readiness near Belarus and Kaliningrad by validating cold-weather combat procedures for armored forces.
A DVIDS report and accompanying imagery released on January 11, 2026, document winter gunnery training conducted by M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles and M7A1 BFIST crews from the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, at Lithuania’s General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area. Carried out in snow-covered terrain near Pabradė, the live-fire events focused on sustaining crew proficiency and validating cold-weather operating procedures for armored formations. The training took place in a strategically sensitive sector near Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, underscoring the unit’s readiness to operate in austere conditions while supporting NATO’s deterrence posture on its northeastern flank.
U.S. Army armored crews conducted high-intensity winter live-fire training with M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles in Lithuania, reinforcing cold-weather combat readiness and NATO deterrence near the alliance’s eastern border (Picture Source: DVIDS)
The exercise underscored how deep-winter challenges shape combat preparedness for rotational U.S. forces deployed to the Baltic region. Against a landscape of snow, ice and freezing fog, Bradley crews rehearsed synchronized maneuvers and target engagements, validating winter maintenance protocols and battle drills under realistic operational stress. Soldiers from Alpha Company, 3rd Brigade Engineer Battalion, and 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment used the opportunity to test their ability to sustain fire support and maneuver in degraded visual environments, where optics fog, batteries fail, and hydraulics slow under freezing temperatures.
Central to the training were the M2 Bradley IFV and its precision-fire support counterpart, the M7A1 BFIST, working in tandem across the white terrain. The M2 Bradley, armed with a 25 mm Bushmaster chain gun, TOW missile launcher and coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun, brings rapid, stabilized firepower and dismounted infantry support into the tactical equation. Its enhanced armor and mobility make it viable in contested terrain, whether forested, marshy or urban. In contrast, the M7A1 BFIST uses the same chassis but replaces troop-carrying space with advanced sensors, laser targeting, and digital fire-support communications – allowing it to call for and coordinate indirect fires with precision. Together, they offer a blend of direct and indirect lethality essential for complex combined-arms maneuver in high-threat areas.
The U.S. Army’s choice to rehearse in Lithuania is strategic. The General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area has emerged as a critical proving ground for NATO forces, combining Baltic climate extremes with proximity to potential flashpoints. Since the mid-2010s, exercises like Saber Strike and Iron Wolf have made Lithuania a familiar theater for Bradley units. What distinguishes this January 2026 rotation, however, is its operational realism: harsh weather, frozen terrain, and interoperability with Lithuanian forces all reinforce readiness for warfighting, not just training.
In tactical terms, tracked platforms like the Bradley outperform wheeled systems in Lithuania’s winter geography. Deep snow, soft ground, and narrow forest trails favor vehicles that can pivot, reverse, and hold position without losing traction. With thermal sights and integrated command-and-control systems, Bradley crews can engage targets against low-contrast snowfields, even in twilight or darkness. These capabilities surpass Soviet-era BMPs or older Western IFVs still in service across parts of Eastern Europe. The BFIST’s networked fire-support capabilities, meanwhile, feed directly into NATO artillery architectures, making it not just a battlefield observer but a critical node in the Alliance’s kill chain.
Winter training by U.S. armored units in Lithuania supports deterrence where it counts most. Pabradė lies within operational range of the Suwałki Gap, a corridor that any major conflict scenario would render decisive. For adversaries, the sight of Bradley crews qualifying in sub-zero conditions just miles from key terrain sends a deliberate message: the U.S. Army is not just present but combat-capable year-round. For allies, it builds trust and interoperability at the ground level, aligning procedures, communications, and mutual understanding under NATO doctrine.
Rather than a scripted display, the 1st Cavalry Division’s gunnery in January reflects a broader trend in U.S. Army Europe’s posture: making rotational presence indistinguishable from permanent combat readiness. By anchoring training to environmental and geographic realities, rather than calendar cycles, the Army is building a credible force capable of responding to short-notice contingencies in the Baltics. It also reflects a shift in doctrine, where persistent forward-deployed units do not merely deter through presence, but through practiced and demonstrated lethality in theater.
As tensions persist across NATO’s eastern frontier, the integration of proven platforms like the Bradley with climate-adapted training and digital fire support networks is giving the U.S. and its allies an edge. Each crew that qualifies in Lithuanian snow strengthens not only the unit but the Alliance’s broader ability to fight and win in the very terrain where conflict would likely unfold.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
