This Diesel Engine Powers The US Army's Bradley Fighting Vehicles (And You Can Buy One For Yourself)

The Bradley Fighting Vehicle has been a mainstay of US Army military doctrine since 1981. This versatile vehicle is something of a battlefield "Swiss Army Knife," and can be used as a troop transporter, as an offensive attack weapon, and as a platform to provide covering fire. The Bradley is part of a collection of military hardware known as the "Big Five." This also includes the Abrams battle tank, the Patriot air defense missile system, the Black Hawk helicopter, and the Apache attack helicopter. Together — along with the service personnel that crew them — the Big Five play a massive role in maintaining America's ground combat preeminence. Essentially, while the Bradley Fighting Vehicle has strengths and weaknesses, it remains a critical part of infantry doctrine. 

Powering the Bradley is a purpose-built diesel engine: the Cummins VTA903 is a four-stroke V8 with a high power-to weight ratio. It has helped push the 24.9-ton fighting vehicles across the battlefield for over four decades at speeds of up to 40 mph. The VTA903 is compliant with NATO's 400-hour endurance test and is compatible with military-grade fuel. It's a 14.8 litre turbocharged and aftercooled engine that can produce up to 760 hp and has a torque range of 1122-1570 lb-ft. Impressive stats, and there's a twist: if you know where to look, you can actually buy one of these beauties. It might not be cheap, and it certainly won't be "plug and play," but if you want to buy the engine that powers the Bradley Fighting Vehicle — it's out there. 

The history of Cummins engines can be traced back to 1919, and since these early days, the company has always been known for operating with a spirit of innovation. The Cummins VTA903 is part of this heritage and has been successfully powering the Bradley fighting vehicle since its inception. The first iteration of the engine was the VTA903-500 — this was the engine version that was used in the original 1981 Bradleys. Since then, the engine has been continually developed — with the latest version even offering hybrid connectivity. 

The VTA903 is based on a 90-degree V8 architecture with a high power-to-weight ratio. This has enabled the current version of the Bradley to carry more troops and/or equipment. Importantly, it also enabled the latest Bradley to carry improved armor, enabling higher vehicle survivability. The engine is available in four "flavors," with the T525 variant producing 525 hp and — unsurprisingly — the T760 variant producing 760 hp. As well as powering the Bradley, the VTA 903 also features in other military hardware. This includes the AAVP7A1 Amphibious Assault Vehicle, the British AS-90 self-propelled artillery vehicle, and the M9 Armored Combat Vehicle. All very impressive, but does the engine have a place in the non-military world? Some people obviously think so, as the engine can be purchased from various online sources. However, you'll need to dig deep into your pockets if you fancy one, as these bad boys don't come cheap. 

If you've ever wanted to own a piece of military hardware, then the VTA903 is available, but for a price. A quick online search showed that there are a couple of online sites that currently list the engine for sale. Prices can vary widely, but expect to pay anywhere from several thousand dollars to tens of thousands. For instance, one VTA-903 listed on mylittlesalesman.com has a price tag of $7,995 plus freight. Other examples on the same site have price tags of $21,995 and a 1984 model selling for $16,995.  Another site that has seen the VTA903 pass through its doors is Adelmans – the site sold a 2005 VTA903-T525 for $7,250. 

Another option available on Adelmans is a factory-remanufactured VTA903E variant that costs a mere $16,950. As already noted, these are not cheap engines. However, for those of us who enjoy military hardware, owning a VTA903 engine is an opportunity to get up close to a genuine battlefield-grade engine. So, if you have a spare $8,000 to $20,000 sitting about and a hankering to own some military hardware, then the option is there. Ultimately though, while it might not be the most powerful Cummins engine, owning a VTA903 is still an impractical option for most people — but it is undeniably cool.