Guide to Vehicle Upgrade Unlockables in Battlefield: Bad Company 2

2010-03-20

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One major advantage that Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has over its major competitor, Modern Warfare 2, is the inclusion of vehicles. In Battlefield, you’re not forced to trudge across the game’s massive maps on foot. Instead, you have a nice selection of helicopters, tanks, and ATVs to choose from. No more schlepping yourself to defend an objective that’s under attack, now you can arrive in style in a Bradley APC or on the back of a four wheeler.

Like the individual kits, players can earn vehicle experience points by taking out enemies and objectives from inside the game’s various tanks and turrets. These points accumulate toward a special set of unlockable specializations that apply to almost all vehicles.

Keep in mind that you can earn these points in any vehicle or turret, so a UAV or a mounted gun will work just as well as a heavily-armored tank for the purposes of earning these bonuses.

Check out the full list of vehicle unlockables in Bad Company 2:

Bad Company 2 Vehicle Unlockables

First up is the Vehicle Motion Sensor Specialization. When equipped, this kit utilizes tracking devices to mark the position of nearby enemies on the mini map. Unlock it after gaining your first 1,180 experience points.
Next, the Hardened Armor Specialization is available at 2,330 Bad Company 2 vehicle experience points. This armor upgrade package makes your vehicles less vulnerable to anti-armor munitions.
Third comes the Extra Damage Specialization. Unlocked at 3,650 vehicle experience points, this upgrade substantially increases the power of a vehicle’s primary weapon.
The Quick Reload Package is unlocked at 5,000 experience points. This specialization drastically increases the reload speed of your weapons, which is quite handy when you’re racing to take out an objective before an overzealous engineer can destroy your tank.
At 6,500 experience points, you will unlock the Smoke Countermeasures Package. This upgrade generates a 360-degree smokescreen to obscure your vehicle at the touch of a button. Very handy for making a quick escape or jumping out to perform a quick repair.
For those who have ever dreamed of sniping with tank shells, the High-Power Optics Package is unlocked at 8,000 experience points. This upgrade drastically increases the accurate range of your weapons, and allows you to zoom in with primary weapons.
Finally, at 9,500 experience points, players can unlock the Alternate Weapons Package for all vehicles. This upgrade varies depending on what you’re driving, from a tow missile launcher in a Bradley APC to a coaxial machine gun in an Abrams tank.

Regardless of which Battlefield: Bad Company 2 kit or vehicle you choose, you are always gaining general experience that goes toward increasing your overall rank. As you gain rank, you also unlock a set of weapons and specializations that are usable with any kit you choose. Keep in mind that you can’t necessarily use all of your individual kit specializations for these weapons (no red dot sight on the Thompson Sub-Machine Gun, for example).

All the experience you gain goes toward these items, regardless of how you earn it. Check out the full list.

Bad Company Non Kit-Specific Unlocks

Unlock your first scattergun at 6,800 experience points, when the 870 Combat Shotgun becomes available.
Next up, the Saiga 20k Shotgun is available at 10, 900 experience points.
Your first pistol upgrade, the MP-443 Grach Pistol, is unlocked at 18,500 experience points.
My personal favorite pistol is the WWII M1911 .45, yours after gaining 28,300 points.
The first unlockable specialization is Lightweight Combat Equipment, available at 39,900 experience points. This lighter set up increases your sprint speed.
Afterward, unlock the Ammo Hip Bandolier at 53,000 experience points. This upgrade doubles the number of magazines you can carry.
At 67,600 experience points, you will unlock the Grenade Vest, which doubles your grenade launcher and hand grenade ammunition.
The Explosives Leg Pouch becomes available after you’ve earned 83,400 experience points. This upgrade doubles the number of C4 explosives and rockets you can carry.
Next up, the Extended Shotgun Magazine upgrade is available at 100,400 experience points. This specialization doubles the number of shotgun rounds that can be loaded.
Battlefield 1943 veterans will recognize the WWII M1A1 Thompson Sub-Machine Gun. Unlock it by gaining 118,500 total experience points (or by being a Battlefield series veteran).
One incredibly-useful item is the Tracer Dart Gun Pistol, unlocked at 137,600 experience points. Use this single-shot weapon to “tag” enemy vehicles for easier targeting by engineers.
At 157,700 experience points, you will unlock the MP-412 Rex Pistol. This revolver is one of the most powerful handguns in the game.
For those who prefer an automatic backup weapon, the M93R Burst-Fire Pistol is available at 178,800 experience points.
Get the Ceramic Body Armor specialization at 200,700 experience points. These lightweight armored plates reduce combat damage to all parts of the body, but do not protect you from headshots.
At 223,500 experience, you will unlock the Magnum Ammo specialization. These bullets increase your accuracy with all weapons.
Unlock 12-Gauge Slugs at 247,200 experience points. These shells don’t have the raw power of buckshot, but increase your overall range and accuracy when using shotguns.
If blowing stuff up is something you enjoy, the Improved Demolitions specialization, unlocked at 271,600 experience points, might be for you. This upgrade increases damage with all infantry-carried explosive weapons.
Earn 296,800 Bad Company 2 experience points to unlock the another favorite from the first Bad Company, the SPAS-12 Combat Shotgun. This high-powered shotgun is absolutely devastating at short range.
The M14 MOD 0 Enhanced Semi-Auto Rifle is available at 322,800 experience points. This semi-automatic rifle is incredibly accurate.
To unlock the Neostead 2000 Combat Shotgun, simply gain a total of 349,500 experience points.
The USAS-12 Auto Shotgun is capable of pumping shotgun rounds into an enemy at a surprising rate. Unlock it at 376,900 experience points.
Finally, the G3 Full-Auto Assault Rifle is unlocked at 405,000 experience points. This highly-accurate assault rifle is the ultimate in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 handheld weaponry.

Our full guide to unlockables in Bad Company 2 covers all four kits, as well as the vehicle and rank-based unlocks. Check out the other sections of the guide for information on unlockable weapons, gadgets, and specializations for the Recon, Medic, Assault, and Engineer classes.

This post is part of the series: Guide to Unlockables in Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Our complete guide to unlockable weapons, gadgets, and specializations in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 includes information on all the great guns available for the Recon, Medic, Engineer, and Assault classes, as well as the vehicle specializations and weapons/items that are unlocked by raising rank.