BMD - airborne combat vehicles. BMD - airborne combat vehicles What does a BMD look like?

In 1978, a variant of the airborne combat vehicle was adopted into service with the Soviet Airborne Forces under the designation BMD-1P with increased firepower when firing at armored targets. The re-equipment of the linear ones was carried out by removing the Malyutka ATGM and installing the complex instead 9K113 "Competition" (9K111 "Bassoon") with semi-automatic guidance, increased armor penetration and extended range of distances combat use. Machine development BMD-1P was carried out in the same VgTZ design bureau by analogy with the modification of an infantry fighting vehicle. Production BMD-1P carried out from 1979 to 1986 - more than 1000 units were produced, and the commander version BMD-1PK– produced until 1987 (220 cars produced). In addition, all previously produced and BMD-1K. Thus, all remaining in service in Russia and the CIS countries after 1990 combat vehicles there were modifications to the landing force BMD-1P.

When re-equipping the base ones, the launch bracket for the 9M14M “Malyutka” missiles on the gun mantlet was dismantled, and a special pin was installed on the roof of the turret, onto which a rotating launcher was placed 9P135M(1) complex "Competition" ("Bassoon"). The shooter could fire missiles by leaning out of the tower hatch. The ATGM ammunition load was reduced to three pieces (two 9M113 and one 9M111), which are stowed inside the hull in standard launch containers instead of the old 9M14M stowage. Launcher with a sight at stowed position also fits inside the body; in addition, there is a tripod that turns the ATGM into a portable version, allowing firing from the ground. The 9K113 complex was intended to destroy tanks and other mobile armored objects moving at speeds of up to 60 km/h, stationary targets - firing points, as well as hovering enemy helicopters, subject to their optical visibility at ranges of up to 4000 m.

The ammunition load of the 2A28 gun included 16 rounds OG-15V With fragmentation grenades. In mechanized laying, they are located evenly - after three PG-15V shots - two OG-15V. The vehicle was also equipped with improved surveillance devices and an improved 1PN22M2 sight, new rollers, and the engine and transmission underwent some modifications. In addition, a gyroscopic semi-compass GPK-59, a calorific heater and a middle compartment fan were installed. Combat weight BMD-1P increased to 7.6 tons.

On the base BMD-1P a command vehicle was also produced BMD-1PK, which was different from BMD-1K only by the composition of the weapons that included new ATGM. It had a second R-123M radio station, a second R-124 intercom, an R-105M remote VHF radio, an AB-0.5-P/30 gas-electric unit and two removable tables for the commander and radio operator in the troop compartment. In the working position, the charging unit was attached to the outside of the housing. To improve the commander's working conditions, the left forward machine gun mount was removed from the vehicle, and the ammunition load for the 7.62 mm PKT machine guns was reduced to 3,000 rounds.

Currently, the topic of providing the Airborne Forces with armored vehicles is hotly discussed both in the Ministry of Defense and by military experts. However, this topic seems to deserve much more careful attention - and above all with regard to the fate of the BMD-4 and related issues related to the development of weapons for the Airborne Forces.

UNDEservEDLY OFFENSIVE BMD

BMD-4 basically answers everything modern requirements. Let's repeat a little: the base chassis is BMD-3, the weapons are BMP-3. Let us remind you that the BMP-3 has been in production since 1979.

Let's move on to consider the performance characteristics of the car. We will not consider everything, only selectively, problematic issues in the comparison of BMD-4 and BMD-2 (BTR-D). Machine weight – more than 13 tons. The question immediately arises: isn’t this too much? Apparently, the mass is prohibitive. For example, the weight of the BTR-D is 8 tons, the Il-76 is capable of transporting three units of the BTR-D (BMD-2), and the BMD-4 only one. Again the question is: where can we get so many planes? There is no answer, just as there are not so many planes.

The transmission on the car is hydromechanical. Easy to operate, but much more complex in design, unlike the BMD-2 mechanical transmission, hence some problems. The transmission device has three powerful oil filters and quite a few different valves. In particular, high-quality fuels and lubricants TSZp-8 (MGE-25T), strict requirements for the presence of moisture and all kinds of impurities, as well as high requirements for the qualifications of operating personnel - in particular, the driver - are used.

The weight of the BMD-4 transmission is more than 600 kg, that of the BMD-2 is more than 200 kg, the difference is significant. Repair of the BMD-4 transmission is carried out only at the manufacturer, while the BMD-2 transmission can be repaired in the field.
The engine on the BMD-4 is of the same family as on the BMD-1, -2 and BTR-D, only these engines are different in power and weight, we will not consider them. There is only one drawback, again the weight of the BMD-4 engine and the dimensions are higher.

The armament of the BMD-4 is similar to the BMP-3: 100 mm 2A70 cannon and 30 mm 2A72 cannon, fire control system (FCS) is basically the same. The weight of the BMD-4 ammunition load is higher than the weight of the BMD-2 ammunition load, and this, in turn, causes a problem with the provision of ammunition; an increase in the number of vehicles or the number of ammunition supplies per day is required.

Vehicle 2S25 "Sprut" - 125 mm self-propelled artillery installation(self-propelled guns), in essence, is the same BMD-3, only with different weapons. "Sprut" is equipped with a 125 mm 2A75 cannon, an analogue of the 125 mm tank gun 2A46 of the T-72 tank. The gun's automatic loader was apparently also borrowed from the T-72. In general, the weapon system has been tested for a long time, is reliable and does not cause any complaints. Moreover, the T-72 tank is the most sold abroad and the most belligerent domestic tank, no other advertising is needed. But the weight of the vehicle is 18 tons, which is clearly excessive for an airborne vehicle.

And the weight of 125-mm ammunition is clearly high and incomparable even with the Nona ammunition and the D-30 howitzer with all the ensuing consequences. At the same time, in terms of its combat qualities, the 120-mm Nona HE shell is superior to the 125-mm HE shell and is comparable to the combat power of a 152-mm HE howitzer. If the presence of "Octopus" in Ground forces And Marine Corps necessary, easy to justify and historically confirmed, then the presence of such a heavy and large vehicle in the Airborne Forces is unclear. After all, there are anti-tank missile systems(ATGM), which are most suitable for paratroopers, besides, the Airborne Forces already had a similar vehicle, the ASU-85, which was later abandoned, although in general the paratroopers gave it a good rating - but it weighed 15 tons.

ECONOMIC COMPONENT

On this moment the purchase price for the BMD-4 and Sprut ranges from several tens of millions of rubles per vehicle. This is definitely an inflated price, many times over, and is not justified by anything; the cars obviously don’t cost that much. What is the reason?
For example: at the moment the cost of the T-90 tank is at the level of 55–60 million rubles per vehicle, depending on the configuration. It is not difficult to conclude: at such prices, the Airborne Forces will really be on a starvation diet.

The armored vehicles of Russia and the world, photos, videos, watch online, were significantly different from all their predecessors. For a large reserve of buoyancy, the height of the hull was noticeably increased, and to improve stability it was increased cross section was given a trapezoidal shape. The required bullet resistance to the hull was provided by rolled cemented armor with an additionally hardened outer layer of the KO brand (Kulebaki-OGPU). In the manufacture of the hull, armor plates were welded on the inner soft side, and special stocks were used to facilitate assembly. To simplify the installation of units, the upper armor plates of the hull were made removable with a seal on fabric gaskets lubricated with red lead.

Armored vehicles of the Second World War in which the crew of two people was located near the longitudinal axis at the back of each other's heads, but the turret with weapons was shifted 250 mm to the left side. The power unit is shifted to the starboard side so that access for engine repairs is possible from the inside fighting compartment tank after removing the safety partition. At the rear of the tank, along the sides, there were two gas tanks with a capacity of 100 liters each, and directly behind the engine there was a radiator and a heat exchanger, washed by sea water when moving afloat. At the stern, in a special niche, there was a propeller with navigable rudders. The balance of the tank was chosen in such a way that when afloat it had a slight trim to the stern. The propeller was driven by a cardan shaft from a power take-off mounted on the gearbox housing.

Armored vehicles of the USSR in January 1938, at the request of the head of the ABTU D. Pavlov, the tank’s armament was to be strengthened by installing a 45-mm semi-automatic gun or a 37-mm automatic gun, and in the case of installing a semi-automatic gun, the crew was to be increased to three people. The tank's ammunition was supposed to consist of 61 rounds for the 45 mm cannon and 1,300 rounds for the machine gun. The design bureau of plant No. 185 completed two projects on the “Castle” theme, for which the Swedish Landsverk-30 tank was used as a prototype.

The Wehrmacht armored vehicles did not escape troubles with engine boost. To what has been said, we can only add that this crisis was actually overcome only in 1938, for which the tank received not only a forced engine. To strengthen the suspension, thicker leaf springs were used. Rubber tires made of neoprene, a domestic synthetic rubber, were introduced, the production of tracks from Hartfield steel by hot stamping began, and high-frequency-hardened fingers were introduced. But all these changes to the tank were not introduced simultaneously. The tank hull with inclined armor plates could not be manufactured on time. However, the conical turret with improved protection was submitted on time, and the tank with the same hull, reinforced suspension (due to the installation of thicker leaf springs), a forced engine and a new turret entered testing at the NIBT test site.

Modern armored vehicles went under the code T-51. It retained the process of transition from tracks to wheels, like the prototype, by lowering special levers with wheels without a person leaving. However, after adjusting the requirements for the tank, making it a three-seater (it was decided to retain backup control for the loader), and strengthening its armament to the BT level, it was no longer possible to implement the Landsverk-type wheel drive. In addition, the tank's wheel drive transmission was overly complex. Therefore, soon work on the “Castle” theme was carried out on the T-116 tank, in which the “change of shoes” was carried out according to the BT type - by removing the track chains.

IN different years R&D work was started to create a whole range of combat and special machines, however various reasons most of them stopped at the stages of preparing working design documentation and manufacturing prototypes for preliminary tests.

Of the number of vehicles on the BMD-3 chassis delivered to mass production, we can mention the BMD-4 airborne combat vehicle, 125-mm self-propelled anti-tank gun 2S25 "Sprut-SD" and reconnaissance chemical vehicle RKhM-5. The development of the BTR-MD amphibious multi-purpose armored personnel carrier has also been completed.

Komandirskaya BMD-ZK

Preliminary tests of the Bakhcha-K command modification took place in 1993, state tests in 1994, and in 1996 it was put into service under the designation BMD-ZK. The combat crew of the BMD-ZK has been reduced to five people, and radio stations and navigation equipment have been additionally installed on the vehicle. However, the BMD-ZK was not mass-produced.

BMD-4

Even at the stage of forming the appearance of a family of combat and special vehicles for the Airborne Forces based on the “airborne combat vehicle of the 90s,” the designers proactively proposed to include in it “an airborne combat vehicle with increased characteristics in terms of armament and protection.” The complex of its main weapons would be similar to the BMP-3 being developed at the same time (100 mm gun, 30 mm automatic cannon and 7.62 mm machine gun in a single unit in a double turret) with a combat weight of 14-15 tons. It was assumed to carry out a promising BMD on a six- or seven-roller chassis - depending on the planned capacity. The project was never implemented, but the issue of strengthening the armament of the BMD and its unification with the armament of the serial BMP-3 was returned to in the second half of the 1990s.

The BMD-4 is equipped with a single BO “Bakhcha-U” produced by KBP

This time the talk was about a significant modernization of the BMD-3, retaining the five-wheel chassis and installing a two-seat fighting compartment with an armament system similar to the BMP-3. The new combat compartment (combat module) was developed at the Tula Instrument Design Bureau (KBP) as part of the BMP-3 modernization program. The design and development work for an airborne combat vehicle with a new unified fighting compartment received the code “Bakhcha-U” (which is often referred to as the fighting compartment). KBP turned out to be the leading enterprise in this R&D. The co-executor for the chassis was, naturally, VgTZ, where work was carried out under the leadership of chief designer V.V. Khanakina. Collaborations KBP and VgTZ for this vehicle have been deployed since 1997. An experimental fighting compartment was manufactured by KBP and Tulamashzavod in 2001 and was tested on the BMD-3 chassis.

The new airborne combat vehicle was accepted into service on December 31, 2004 under the designation BMD-4. In May 2005, in Tula, on the territory of the State Unitary Enterprise “KBP”, its General Designer A.G. Shipunov solemnly handed over to the commander of the Airborne Forces, Colonel General A.P. Kolmakov received four BMD-4s, and in August of the same year the 137th Separate Parachute Regiment (Ryazan) received new vehicles. It was planned to organize serial production of the BMD-4 with the manufacture of new chassis at VgTZ and the gradual modernization of previously produced BMD-3s to the level of the BMD-4 during a major overhaul.

One of the first airborne combat vehicles BMD-4 (“Object 960”). The embrasure of the automatic grenade launcher in the frontal plate of the hull has not yet been plugged

BMD-4 afloat

BMD-4 airborne combat vehicles. The built-in weapon installation and combined sights of the gunner and commander are clearly visible

Of course, there were some “frictions”. Against the background as a whole positive feedback The Airborne Forces command voiced complaints about the BMD-4 exceeding the weight limit of 13.2 tons, which had previously been agreed upon with great difficulty for the BMD-3 (although such a radical increase in armament could have resulted in a much greater increase in weight). Intensive use of the first three BMD-4s in the 137th regiment revealed a number of problems. In particular, complaints were made about the “docking of the turret and chassis” - mainly about the compatibility of the electrical equipment of the vehicle body and the fighting compartment, about the narrow temperature range limit switches, etc. The quality of manufacturing of some parts caused criticism, which required modifications. If the paratrooper officers who operated the first BMD-4 even joked that “one more place needs to be provided in the vehicle - for a representative of the plant” (and representatives of KBP and VgTZ were always in the unit during trial operation), then for the next production vehicles the parties were already treated much better. From Ryazan, the BMD-4 was transferred to the 76th Air Assault Division (Pskov).

BMD-4 retained the chassis and general scheme layout of the basic BMD-3. In the control compartment along the axis of the vehicle there is a driver, to the right and left of him there are two paratroopers, as well as two universal seats, on which the commander and gunner are placed during landing. Behind the control compartment is the fighting compartment with the main weapons and two crew members located in a rotating turret. Behind the turret there is a troop compartment with three places for paratroopers to board and disembark through the aft landing hatch. The engine-transmission compartment (MTO) occupies the rear part of the body.

The turret houses a 100-mm 2A70 gun-launcher in a single block, to the right of it is a 30-mm 2A72 automatic cannon, and to the left is a 7.62-mm PKT or PKTM machine gun. The KBP designers managed to make the built-in installation of different-caliber weapons quite compact; the block has a length of 3943 mm, a trunnion width of 655 mm, and a weight of 583 kg. Vertical pointing angles of the weapon block are from -6 to +60°.

The 2A70 is a rifled 100-mm low-ballistic gun with a vertical wedge breech, capable of launching an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) through the barrel, equipped with a single automatic loader high-explosive fragmentation shells and ATGM. The machine gun delivers rounds from storage areas to the loading plane of the launcher gun, sends them into the chamber, and removes the spent cartridge case outside the fighting compartment. Accordingly, the automatic loader includes a conveyor, mechanisms for loading, loading and opening the cartridge ejection hatch. The conveyor frame, in which the shots are placed in trays, is located under the floor of the fighting compartment and can rotate relative to the latter using an electromechanical or manual (emergency) drive. The automatic loader reduces gas pollution inside the vehicle and ensures loading of the gun within 4-6 seconds.

The ATGM, together with the gun and control equipment, constitutes a complex of guided weapons. It can include ZUBK23-3 rounds with 9M117M1 ATGM or ZUBK10-3 rounds with 9M117 ATGM. The control system of both ATGMs is semi-automatic using a laser beam. The 9M117M1 "Arkan" ATGM with an armor penetration of 750 mm and overcoming dynamic protection allows it to hit modern weapons at ranges of up to 5500 m. battle tanks, including M1A1 “Abrams”, “Leopard-2”, etc. (armor penetration of the 9M117 ATGM warhead is 550 mm without ensuring penetration of remote sensing, maximum range shooting - 4000 m). The gun's ammunition includes 100-mm rounds with high-explosive fragmentation shells: 3UOF19 with a 3OF70 projectile and 3UOF17 with a 3OF32 projectile. The optimized shape of the projectile, some lightening of it with an increase in the propellant charge in the ZUOF19 shot, made it possible to fire at a range of up to 7000 m versus 4000 m with the ZUOF17, while the power of the ZOF70 projectile of the ZUOF19 shot was increased due to a higher filling coefficient, and the accuracy of fire was also improved.

The 2A72 automatic cannon has a double-sided belt feed with automated and manual feed switching. The ammunition includes ZUBR6 cartridges with armor-piercing tracer, ZUBR8 with armor-piercing sub-caliber and ZUOF8 with high-explosive fragmentation incendiary shells. The firing range of the 30-mm cannon is up to 4000 m with high-explosive fragmentation and up to 2500 m with armor-piercing sub-caliber shells. Used links of cannon and machine gun belts, spent cartridges machine guns are retracted inside the fighting compartment. The weapon complex is designed to defeat not only ground forces (main battle tanks, armored vehicles, manpower openly and in shelters, fire installations, launchers ATGMs, etc.), but also low-flying enemy air targets (the possibility of hitting helicopters with fire from a 30-mm cannon or ATGM).

The mechanized ammunition rack consists of 34 unitary 100-mm rounds (including four ATGM rounds), 350 rounds for a 30-mm automatic cannon and 2,000 7.62-mm rounds for a machine gun. In addition, there are six spare 81 mm ZD6 (ZD6M) smoke grenades for smoke grenade launchers. During air transportation and parachute landing of the BMD-4, a reduction in ammunition was installed. This is one of forced measures“removing” excess weight, since for landing it is necessary to reduce the weight of the vehicle from 13.6 to 13.2 tons.

A significant innovation and advantage of the new fighting compartment was the automated all-day fire control system (FCS), including:
- high-precision combined (day/night) gunner's sight with independent two-plane field of view stabilization, optical, thermal imaging and rangefinder channels, and an ATGM control information channel. The magnification factor of the day channel is 12x, the range of the measured range on the rangefinder channel is up to 10,000 m;
- a commander’s panoramic sight with day-night and rangefinder channels, allowing the commander to give target designation to the gunner, as well as conduct targeted fire with all types of weapons, except ATGMs;
- automatic target tracking unit, combined with thermal imaging and television channels of sights;
- two-plane weapon stabilizer, providing a minimum guidance speed of 0.02 degrees/s and a maximum transfer speed of 60 degrees/s;
- digital ballistic computer;
- external information sensors;
- gunner and commander consoles, commander and gunner monitors, control panel.

The combined gunner's sight and the commander's panoramic sight were developed by KBP jointly with OJSC ANPP Temp-Avia (Arzamas), FSUE Research Institute Polyus (Moscow), OJSC VOMZ (Vologda). To create an automatic target tracking machine, they involved JSC NKB VS (Taganrog), a ballistic computer, control panels, navigation equipment - MIET (Zelenograd), a stabilizer - JSC SKB PA (Kovrov). So the KBP did not exaggerate when they said that components for the assembly of the BMD-4 “are brought from all over Russia.” The components of the management system are connected by a single information and management system. The fire control system allows the commander and gunner to conduct effective fire from a standstill and on the move (including afloat), day and night, and significantly increases the reconnaissance capabilities of the BMD-4. Possibility of conducting aimed shooting on the move for a lightly armored vehicle probably has more higher value than for heavy category vehicles, since it helps reduce vulnerability from enemy fire. On the other hand, increasing the firing range high-explosive fragmentation projectile makes it possible for the BMD-4 to support the actions of paratroopers with indirect fire.

Performance characteristics of BMD-4

Gross weight, t................................................... .13.6
Crew+troopers, persons...................................2+5

Air transportation.............................by aircraft such as Il-76(M,MD), An-22

Height at working clearance, mm......2227
Length with gun forward, mm................................6780
Body length, mm...................................6000
Width, mm........................................................ .....3256
Ground clearance, mm................... 100-500 (working - 420)

Weapons:
launcher weapon:
- brand................................................... .......2A70
-caliber (mm), type........................100, rifled
- loading...........................automatic loader
- rate of fire (ROF), rds/min.... 10-12 gun:
- brand................................................... .......2A72
-caliber (mm), type...........................30, rifled

automatic
- rate of fire, rds/min...................200-300 or 550

machine gun:
- brand................................................... .......PKTM
- caliber, mm......................................................... ...7.62

Weapon pointing angles:
- along the horizon........................................................ ..360"
- vertically forward......................from -6" to +60"

Ammunition:
- shots to 100 mm
gun-launcher with ATGM......4
- shots for a 100-mm gun-launcher with OFS................................................... .......34
- cartridges for the 30-mm cannon...................................464
- cartridges for a 7.62 mm machine gun......................2000

Armor protection........................anti-bullet

Engine:
- type........................................four-stroke 6- cylinder diesel with gas tube turbocharging, direct fuel injection, liquid cooling
- brand................................................... .....2В-06-2
- power, hp (kW)........................450(331) at 2000 rpm
Specific power, hp/t....................................33

Transmission...........................hydromechanical with differential rotation mechanism, with hydrostatic transmission
Suspension of road wheels............individual pneumatic
Caterpillar................................................. steel, double-ridge, pinion engagement, with sequential rubber-metal hinges

Track width
main caterpillar, mm...................................380

water propulsion,
type........................................hydrojet

Maximum speed, km/h:
- along the highway........................................................ ......67.5
- afloat................................................ ..........10

Average dry speed
dirt road, km/h........................45-50

Power reserve:
- along the highway, km................................................... ....500
- on a dirt road, km...................................350
- afloat, h................................................... ............8

Specific ground pressure, kg/cm2.................................................... ......0.51

The fighting compartment also has a PPB-2 gunner's backup sight and manual weapon trigger backups. All-round visibility is provided by TNPT-2 periscope surveillance devices.

It’s not for nothing that the unified fighting compartment is called a “module” - in addition to the BMP-3 and BMD-3, it was supposed to be installed on the chassis of the BMP-2, the Sprut-SD SPTP (this vehicle will be discussed below) and the BTR-90.

In the front part of the BMD-4 hull, the right-hand installation for light machine gun RPKS74, the left mount for the AGS-17 grenade launcher has been removed. The side and rear installations for individual assault weapons have been retained.

The hull and turret of the BMD-4, welded from an aluminum armor alloy, remained at the level of the BMD-3 in terms of bullet resistance and mine resistance. The tower is made in the form of a ten-sided truncated pyramid; its frontal projections are reinforced with steel armor plates installed spaced apart from the main armor. On both sides of the weapons installation, 81-mm grenade launchers of the 902V “Tucha” system are mounted on the turret for launching smoke and lighting grenades. Specialists from the All-Russian Research Institute of Steel and its mechanical department, Tulamashzavod, took an active part in the development of the armored cap for the fighting compartment.

The installation of a new fighting compartment (module) required a number of improvements in constructive groups base machine body. In particular, new pillars (racks) were welded in, and a new fitting ring was installed in the roof of the hull. In addition, during the modernization, the driver's seat, mounting elements for paratroopers' seats, and universal seats for landing the commander and gunner were improved. Some changes have been made to the fastening elements of the personal kit, ventilation equipment, personnel equipment, communications equipment, spare parts, and electric seat heating circuit.

BMD-4 is equipped collective system protection from weapons mass destruction with a filter-ventilation unit and fast-acting fire-fighting equipment.

Power unit, transmission, chassis, hydraulic and pneumatic chassis systems are similar to the BMD-3.

The vehicle is equipped with VHF radio stations R-168-25U (“Akveduk-25U”) and R-168-5UV (“Akveduk-5UV”), providing a radio communication range in motion of up to 20 and up to 10 km, respectively, and internal communication equipment R-168 AVSK-B, a receiver of GLONASS/GPS satellite navigation systems with data displayed on the commander’s monitor. The command version of the BMD-4K vehicle has an additional radio station and specially equipped workstations.

Transportation and landing of the BMD-4 was assumed from the same aircraft military transport aviation, as BMD-3. Changes in the weight and size characteristics and general configuration of the BMD-4 compared to the BMD-3 required modifications to the landing equipment. On October 31, 2005, a technical specification was issued for the development of landing equipment for the BMD-4. This R&D work was carried out as part of the creation of unified means of parachute landing of combat and special airborne vehicles with a crew and combat crew inside the vehicle. The landing means, designated P325 (the main developer is the MKPK "Universal"), are generally similar to the PBS-950 means for the BMD-3 - the degree of unification exceeded 90%.

In 2007, road tests of the BMD-4 with landing gear in the stowed position and afloat tests took place, without preliminary flight tests; in 2008, static, pitfall technical tests and physiological tests with two testers inside the vehicle took place. Underfunding of the work, the rush to carry out state tests of the vehicle without landing equipment, and the late issuance of technical specifications gave rise to a situation where the BMD-4 was put into service in the virtual absence of means of landing it and without carrying out a trial loading into the cargo cabin of the aircraft. established in Soviet time and the proven system of developing and adopting a single complex “object - landing equipment - military transport aircraft” was destroyed. However, the production of BMD-4 turned out to be limited.

Light airborne combat vehicles armored vehicles, designed for landing using a parachute. They appeared in the USSR and had no analogues in the world, however, other countries did not really try to do something similar.

BMDs are designed to transport infantry and support them with fire from their guns. In this respect, they are similar to infantry fighting vehicles, but differ in strictly limited dimensions and weight, allowing military transport aircraft to parachute vehicles.

History of creation

It all started in the early 1960s when Soviet Union needed armed armored vehicles capable of transporting troops in conditions of tactical nuclear weapons, fight enemy armored vehicles and be air transportable.

At that time, there were infantry fighting vehicles, but their weight of 13 tons was not very suitable for transportation by plane, and there was no parachute system.

Commanding airborne troops Margelov put forward the initiative to create new car, characterized by small dimensions and weight.

Military service and combat use

In 1968, the BMD-1 entered mass production, becoming the first-born in a family of similar equipment. The vehicle, weighing 7.2 tons, with bulletproof aluminum armor and protection against weapons of mass destruction, was easily transported by airplane and parachuted with the troops and crew inside.

Crew of 2 people, 5 paratroopers in the transport and combat compartment. The turret is equipped with a 2A28 “Grom” gun of 73 mm caliber, and a machine gun is coaxial with it. To combat heavily armored vehicles, a 9K11 “Malyutka” anti-tank missile system with an ammunition capacity of 3 wire-guided missiles is installed on the roof of the tower.

BMD-1 took part in many military conflicts, for example, in Afghanistan, two Chechen wars, Transnistrian and South Ossetian conflicts. There is one confirmed case of hitting an enemy tank with a 73 mm cannon.

The main disadvantage was the extremely weak security. Also, the large-caliber gun was poorly suited for combating enemy personnel and lightly armored targets at distances of 500 meters.

Improvement

In 1985, the BMD-2 appeared, equipped with a rapid-fire 30-mm 2A42 cannon and capable of combating air targets using air defense systems.

However, in 2013, the vast majority of such equipment turned out to be in unsatisfactory condition, as stated by the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation Valery Gerasimov. He emphasized that, in addition to the wear and tear of the mechanisms, the vehicles are morally outdated and do not meet the requirements of a modern army.

From 1990 to 1997, production of the BMD-3 was carried out, featuring a new hull, chassis, and so on. Total in service national army There are about 10 units of such equipment.

Finally, it is worth mentioning the BMD-4, the newest representative of this family. Not a very popular car due to the extremely high price and disadvantages inherited from its predecessors in the form of poor protection.

What's next

Today, not everyone sees the point in cars of this class. Yes, they have advantages in the form of the ability to transport 2-3 vehicles in 1 plane, good mobility and sufficient firepower, but is it enough to cover them? main drawback in the form of unsatisfactory protection for the crew and landing force?

Let's leave this question to the military leaders, however, it is worth noting that such equipment is not used throughout the world. Of course, there are small-sized airborne vehicles like the Wiesel, but they are not intended for transporting troops and perform a different role on the battlefield.