Jumping from an airplane inside an armored personnel carrier is a unique technique of the Russian Airborne Forces. Landing inside a vehicle: how it all began The first landing of a vehicle with a crew

Today, January 5, marks exactly 40 years since the first landing of manpower inside a combat vehicle in human history. On January 5, 1973, for the first time in the world, the crew of an armored personnel carrier was inside the vehicle while landing from a transport aircraft.

A new landing method was carried out at the Slobodka training ground near Tula. Inside the airborne combat vehicle (BMD) were Lieutenant Colonel Leonid Zuev and gunner-operator Senior Lieutenant Alexander Margelov (son of the commander of the Russian Airborne Forces, Army General Vasily Margelov, the initiator of a new method of landing “blue berets”).

The armored personnel carrier was dropped from an An-12 transport aircraft on a special P-7 parachute platform, which was part of the Centaur airborne rocket complex. After ejection from the plane, the multi-dome parachute system automatically opened, and when approaching the ground, the jet braking system was activated, reducing the speed to 8 meters per second acceptable for the crew.

The landing armored personnel carrier was equipped with special Kazbek seats, designed in the likeness of the astronauts' seats on the descent vehicles. During the flight, the paratroopers were secured in their seats using a reliable system of belts that prevented the troops from moving during the flight and landing.

The landing of people inside the BMD was preceded by scrupulous experimental work and test releases of equipment with animals inside the combat vehicle (the experience of the USSR cosmonautics in launching animals as the first crew members of orbital spacecraft had an impact).

In 1975, the first landing of a full BMD crew was carried out. in the amount of 6 people, and from the next year, Soviet “blue berets” began to land inside combat vehicles without the use of parachute platforms, which not only increased the time it took to bring the equipment into combat position after landing, but also reduced the costs of each such landing by tens of thousands of full-fledged Soviet rubles (which at that time were quoted at 60-70 kopecks per US dollar).

Technique for landing crew inside combat vehicles is still a unique technique of Russian paratroopers- in the armies of other countries of the world (USA, NATO, China, etc.), when armored vehicles are ejected from transport aircraft, the crews of combat vehicles descend to the ground separately, like ordinary paratroopers, which greatly increases the time it takes to bring armored personnel carriers into combat readiness, especially in unfavorable conditions weather conditions (strong wind, precipitation, fog, etc.). While the Soviet method of landing the crew inside an armored personnel carrier made it possible for the “blue berets” to begin combat operations within a few minutes after landing.

The Russian army has not abandoned the unique heritage of the Airborne Forces era of the Soviet Union. In 2010, for the first time, a landing of new generation infantry fighting vehicles (BMD-2) with a crew inside armored personnel carriers was carried out. For this purpose, Russian designers have developed a new - safer and more efficient - parachute system, and modernized the seats for the crew (Kazbek D model). BMD-2 were ready to carry out combat missions within four minutes (!) after touching the ground.

But even after all the improvements, this method of landing remains a risky activity, experts from the Russian News department of the Stock Leader magazine for investors note, because a combat vehicle flying towards the ground at high speed does not have spare parachutes, and in the event of failure of most of the parachutes (one -two doesn’t count, because the car descends on 11 parachutes) or the lines get tangled, the paratroopers inside the car are doomed.

New technology will continue traditions

New combat vehicle landing BMD-4M, undergoing modification at Kurganmashzavod, is designed for landing with a crew inside. The new vehicle for the “blue berets” is designed for a larger crew - eight paratroopers instead of seven, has powerful weapons(a 100-mm cannon for firing high-explosive fragmentation shells, a 30-mm automatic cannon, a coaxial PKT machine gun of 7>62 mm caliber, as well as Arkan anti-tank guided missile launchers. The BMD-4M can not only “fly”, but also overcome water obstacles without any preparation at speeds of up to 10 kilometers per hour (on the highway, an armored personnel carrier reaches the speed of a passenger car - 70 kilometers per hour).

In the first half of the last century, the “motorized mechanization” of landing forces was expected mainly through cars, off-road motorcycles and small tanks. The experience of World War II forced, if not to change these views, then to somewhat shift the emphasis.

Despite all the specificity of airborne armored vehicles, its range is quite wide, and we will limit ourselves to the history of the unique domestic BMD-BTR-D family, especially since its progenitor, the BMD-1, turns 40 years old in 2009.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the Airborne Forces went through large-scale rearmament. Among other things, they received all-terrain vehicles and the first model of armored vehicles developed specifically for the Airborne Forces - an airborne self-propelled artillery mount. However, this was clearly not enough.

In the first half of the 1960s, an infantry fighting vehicle for motorized rifle units was being developed, and the question naturally arose about the same vehicle for the airborne troops. Then, what would be behind enemy lines would not be “light infantry,” but highly mobile mechanized units capable of operating in both conventional and nuclear war. However, a lot depends on the capabilities military transport aviation. The aircraft determines the requirements for weight, speed of loading, fastening, unloading or landing, the dimensions of its cargo compartment and hatch - the dimensions of the vehicle. The BMP-1 (then still an experimental “object 765”) did not fit into them. Firstly, the combat weight of 13 tons allowed the An-12, the main military transport aircraft of that time, to transport only one infantry fighting vehicle. Secondly, the An-12 provided the landing of one monocargo (a type of weapon with landing equipment) weighing up to 10 tons, so the weight of the sample itself could not exceed 7.5-8 tons. It was necessary to create a transport-combat vehicle for Airborne troops(Airborne Forces).

OKB-40 of the Mytishchi Machine-Building Plant, headed by N.A., took part in the competition. Astrov, who already had experience in creating ASU-57 and SU-85, design bureaus of the Volgograd Tractor Plant (VgTZ) headed by I.V. Gavalov and Leningrad VNII-100 (later VNIItransmash). An important role in the fate of the vehicle was played by the “punching force” of the Airborne Forces commander, Army General V.F. Margelov, who was supported by Deputy Minister and then Minister of Defense Marshal A.A. Grechko. A number of designers of armored vehicles, representatives of the General Staff and the Ministry of Defense considered it practically impossible to create a vehicle with such a weapon system that would fit within strict limits in terms of weight, dimensions and overloads during landing (up to 20 g). There was no clear idea: make a car from scratch or use the components of serial cars as much as possible? But Margelov, having become convinced after meetings with the designers and leaders of VgTZ of the practical possibility of creating a combat vehicle, raised the headquarters and Scientific and Technical Committee of the Airborne Forces, the heads of the military branches and services, and involved several ministries in the work. VgTZ received the task of developing a machine designated “object 915”. It is interesting that in 1942, in Stalingrad, the paratroopers of the 13th Guards Division A.I. covered themselves with glory. Rodimtsev, and it was in this city that a quarter of a century later a combat vehicle for paratroopers appeared.

This machine was required to: high cross-country ability, as large average as possible technical speed over terrain, confidently overcoming water obstacles without prior preparation (due to its own reserve of buoyancy), as well as landing from military transport aircraft using its own parachute system and placing a weapon complex and several paratroopers with their weapons. It was natural to use for “object 915” the same main armament as on the BMP - a smooth-bore 73-mm “Grom” gun in a turret, supplemented by a machine gun and a “Malyutka” ATGM. The vehicle was also supposed to serve as a base for a family of armored vehicles (from a light tank to a tanker). We will find out further what was implemented.

New armor and new suspension

The designers decided to use a number of fundamentally new domestic armored vehicles decisions. One of the main ones was the widespread use of aluminum alloys - the Moscow branch of VNII-100 (later VNII of Steel) did a lot of work here. Aluminum armor alloys are more expensive than steel, but provide a number of advantages. Aluminum armor with less weight requires a greater thickness of armor parts, so that the rigidity of the hull is higher than that of a hull made of comparatively thin sheets steel armor. And when we're talking about Regarding bulletproof protection, the body turns out to be lighter than with steel armor of equal resistance.

With the help of VNIItransmash specialists for new car developed a custom hydropneumatic suspension. More precisely, it is an air suspension (gas serves as the elastic element) with force transmission through liquid. Each suspension unit serves as both a spring and a shock absorber, the suspension is compact, and by adjusting the pressure you can change the vehicle's ground clearance within a wide range. The latter allows you to place the vehicle on landing gear, “pull” the chassis to the hull when moving afloat, and makes it easier to hide the vehicle on the ground.

In addition, the vehicle received a very dense layout, the capacity was limited to seven soldiers, compensating for this with their “active” placement: in addition to the operator-gunner in the turret, fire could be fired by two machine gunners sitting on either side of the driver, three more paratroopers had ball mounts for their machines. To move afloat, the vehicle received two water cannons.

The Airborne Forces commander did everything to speed up the progress of work. Already on April 14, 1969, the BMD-1 (“airborne combat vehicle”, or “landing combat vehicle”) was put into service. Its production began at VgTZ. The BMD still surprises with its compactness, relative ease of maintenance and reliability (this is understandable - the landing force does not have logistical services and workshops on hand), and remarkable driving performance.

Since 1970, the VgTZ Design Bureau was headed by A.V. Shabalin, and further work on the BMD-1 and its modifications took place under his leadership. Soon the command BMD-1K, the command and staff vehicle BMD-1KSh "Sinitsa" appeared for the battalion command level, in 1978 - the BMD-1P and BMD-1KP with the 9K111 "Fagot" ATGM instead of the "Malyutka", a year later some of the vehicles received smoke grenade launchers for quickly setting up smoke screens.

What would you use to reset it?

In parallel with the creation and development serial production The BMD was working on its means of landing: only a single complex “combat vehicle - vehicle - landing means” could provide effective application new weapon. At the first stage of operation of the BMD-1 and BTR-D, PP128-5000 parachute platforms were used for their landing, and later P-7 and P-7M with multi-dome parachute systems. During the combined arms exercise "Dvina" in March 1970 in Belarus, more than 150 units of military equipment were dropped along with more than 7,000 paratroopers - using multi-dome parachute systems and landing platforms. It is alleged that it was during these exercises that General Margelov expressed the idea of ​​dropping the crew along with the BMD. Usually, crews leave the plane after “their” BMDs so that they can observe them in flight. But the crew finds themselves scattered within a radius of one to several kilometers from their vehicle and, after landing, spends a lot of time searching for the vehicle and preparing it for movement, especially in fog, rain, and at night. Marker radio transmitters on platforms solved the problem only partially. The proposed joint landing complex, when BMD and a crew with personal parachutes were located on the same platform, was rejected. At the beginning of 1971, Margelov demanded that the landing of the crew inside the vehicle be worked out in order to reduce the time between the drop and the start of movement - the time of greatest vulnerability of the landing force.

After a series of experiments (first with dogs, and then with human testers), on January 5, 1973, at the base of the 106th Airborne Division, the first reset of the Centaur system - BMD-1, equipped with two Kazbek-D seats (simplified variant of the Kazbek-U cosmonaut seat) on the P-7 platform. The BMD-1 crew consisted of Lieutenant Colonel L.G. Zuev and senior lieutenant A.V. Margelov ( younger son commander). The results clearly showed that the crew would not only survive, but also maintain combat readiness. Then drops on the Centaur with military crews were carried out in each parachute regiment.

The Centaur system showed a high degree of reliability, but remained unique, purely Russian. It is known that in 1972, when the USSR was preparing for the first drop of people on the Centaur, the French decided to conduct their own experiment. A prisoner sentenced to death was placed in a combat vehicle that was dropped from an airplane. It crashed, and in the West for a long time they considered it inappropriate to continue development work in this direction.

The next step was platformless systems. The point is that preparation for landing of BMD on a platform with the ISS also required a lot of time and money. Preparation of platforms, loading and securing military equipment on them, transportation of equipment on platforms to the airfield (at a very low speed), concentration to aircraft parking areas, installation of a parachute system, loading into aircraft took, according to the experience of the exercises, up to 15-18 hours. Strapdown systems significantly speed up preparation for landing and preparation of the vehicle for movement after landing. And by the beginning of the 1980s, the PBS-915 strapdown parachute system for the BMD-1P and BMD-1PK was developed at the Feodosia branch of the Research Institute of Automatic Devices. And on December 22, 1978, near Bear Lakes, the first release of the Centaur-B system took place on a strap-down system with lining shock absorption. The army was rightfully proud of the strap-down system, so already in 1981 it was shown, as if by chance, in the famous movie “Retaliation.”

In parks, it is customary to store BMDs with the landing system placed on the hull - this reduces the time between receiving the command and loading the vehicles ready for landing onto the aircraft. Main strength landing means surprise, and this requires a quick reaction.

An important step in the development of landing equipment was the appearance of parachute-reactive systems (PRS), in which, instead of a parachute platform with several domes, one dome and a solid-fuel jet braking engine were used. The main advantages of the PRS are the reduction in the time of preparation for landing and the landing itself (the rate of descent of an object on the PRS is approximately four times higher); after landing, there is no “white swamp” left around the vehicle from huge panels of parachutes (canopies and lines, it happens, are wound on rollers and caterpillars). The PRSM-915 system is used for landing the BMD-1 and vehicles based on it. Abroad, as far as we know, serial analogues of our PRS and strap-down systems have not yet been created.

The PRS also became the basis for landing the crew inside the vehicle. The project was called “Reactavr” (“reactive “Centaur”). On January 23, 1976, the first BMD-1 vehicle with a crew was dropped onto PRSM-915 - Lieutenant Colonel L.I. Shcherbakov and Major A.V. Margelov. After landing, the crew brought the vehicle into combat readiness in less than a minute, then performed firing exercises with BMD weapons and driving over obstacles. Note that by 2005, more than 110 people had landed inside equipment (for comparison, approximately four times as many people have been in space since 1961).

Family expansion

The BMD-1 changed the appearance of the Soviet airborne forces, giving them qualitatively new capabilities, but with limited capacity and carrying capacity, it could not alone solve the problem of increasing the mobility of airborne units with subunits - anti-tank, anti-aircraft, control and support. To mount a variety of weapons and controls in addition to the BMD-1, a more spacious armored vehicle was required. And on May 14, 1969 - just a month after the BMD-1 was put into service - the Military-Industrial Commission of the USSR Council of Ministers decided to create prototypes of an armored personnel carrier and a complex of command and staff vehicles for the Airborne Forces.

Design Bureau VgTZ, based on the BMD-1, developed an amphibious armored personnel carrier, designated “object 925” (in parallel, a civilian version was developed - “transporter 925G”). In 1974, it was put into service under the designation BTR-D (“armored personnel carrier”) with the task of transporting personnel, evacuating the wounded, transporting weapons, ammunition, fuels and lubricants and other military cargo. This was facilitated by the lengthening of the chassis - by one roller on each side - and the increased dimensions of the hull with the wheelhouse. Capacity increased to 14 people (or two crew members and four wounded on stretchers).

A family of armored vehicles was developed on the BTR-D chassis to equip almost all branches of the military and services that exist in the Airborne Forces. In addition, the BTR-D and BTR-ZD were supposed to serve as tractors for the 23-mm ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun, but during the exercises, paratroopers began installing the ZU-23-2 directly on the roof of the hull. So, despite the objections of representatives of the manufacturer, an anti-aircraft self-propelled gun appeared. The ZU-23-2 is mounted on the roof on stands and secured with cable braces and can fire at air or ground targets. In their own way, such “home-made products” were “legitimized” by the fighting in Afghanistan and Chechnya, where vehicles accompanied convoys. A factory installation option has also appeared with a more durable mounting of the charger on the body, as well as with an option for armor protection for the crew.

Finally, on the same chassis in 1981 they created a 120 mm self-propelled gun 2S9 “Nona-S” and a reconnaissance and artillery fire control point 1V119 “Rheostat” for Nona batteries, as well as their modernized versions 2S9-1M and 1V119-1.

The BTR-D and vehicles based on it underwent a number of upgrades, including the replacement of old communications equipment in the second half of the 1980s. The PRSM-925 parachute reactive system is designed for landing the BTR-D, and the PRSM-925 (2S9) is used for the Nona-S.

BTR-D with ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun

"Beemdekha second"

In the early 1980s, BMD confirmed its good driving performance in the mountains of Afghanistan, when vehicles with troops and cargo on the armor took relatively steep climbs that were inaccessible to the BMP-1 and BMP-2. But the low elevation angles and effective firing range of the 73-mm cannon did not allow effective fire on mountain slopes. Work on the rearmament of BMD was already underway, but the experience of Afghanistan accelerated its implementation. The result was the BMD-2 with a 30-mm 2A42 automatic cannon and a coaxial machine gun in a single turret and a launcher for the Fagot and Konkurs ATGMs. A number of other changes were made, and in 1985 airborne weapons The BMD-2 (“object 916”) was adopted, and in 1986 the command BMD-2K was adopted.

In general, the fate of the vehicles of the BMDBTR-D family was such that for their intended purpose - airborne vehicles - they were used only in exercises. Combat landing On December 25-26, 1979, the plane arrived at Kabul airfield by landing method. "Baemdashki" allowed paratroopers and special forces to quickly move to objects and block them. In general, BMDs worked like “regular” infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers. The experience in Afghanistan gave rise to a number of changes in vehicle design. Thus, on the BMD-1P and BMD-1PK, the racks for the ATGM launcher were removed, and instead of them, the 30-mm automatic grenade launcher AGS-17 “Flame”, which became popular in mountain warfare, was mounted on the roof of the tower - the paratroopers repeated this “retrofitting” of the BMD-1 and during the Chechen campaign. The troops also installed another popular weapon on the BMD - the NSV-12.7 heavy machine gun.

At checkpoints, the BMD was often placed in cover, and when attacked by dushmans, this very mobile vehicle quickly rolled out to a high point, from where it opened fire. The allocation of BMD to escort relatively slowly moving convoys turned out to be ineffective: light armor and low mine resistance do not correspond to such tasks. The low mass made the vehicle very sensitive to nearby landmine explosions. Another problem emerged - when a mine was detonated, the aluminum bottom, bending like a membrane, hit the ammunition rack located directly above it, which caused the self-destructor of fragmentation grenades to arm, and after eight seconds the ammunition detonated, leaving no time for the crew to leave the vehicle. This accelerated the withdrawal of the BMD-1 from Afghanistan.

The aluminum disks of the road wheels were not durable on rocky roads or roads with concrete surfaces; the roller had to be completely replaced. We had to replace the aluminum road wheels with steel ones with an aluminum bushing. Dust from the air often entered the fuel system, which required the installation of an additional fine filter.

And soon, paratroopers in Afghanistan generally switched from BMD to BMP-2, BTR-70 and BTR-80 - primarily due to the high vulnerability of BMD during explosions.

After Afghanistan, the BMD and the vehicles based on it had to fight on their native soil. Politicians sent paratroopers (as the most combat-ready units) to extinguish interethnic clashes and separatist riots. Since 1988, paratroopers have been actively involved in more than 30 operations commonly referred to as "national and military conflict resolution." BMD-1, BMD-2 and BTR-D had to patrol the streets and protect objects in Tbilisi in 1989, in Baku and Dushanbe in 1990, in Vilnius in 1991 and even in Moscow in 1991 and 1993 . At the end of 1994, the first campaign in Chechnya began, and here the BMD-1 was again sent into battle. To enhance protection against cumulative grenades and heavy machine gun bullets, boxes with sand, additional spare parts, etc. were placed and hung on the BMD-1. In September 1999, the BMD-1 and BTR-D took part in battles in Dagestan, and immediately after that the second Chechen campaign.

As for the BTR-D and vehicles based on it, they remained the faithful “workhorses” of the Airborne Forces. Moreover, the vehicles are designed for delivery by military transport aircraft and heavy helicopters, they pull well even in difficult road conditions and in the mountains, and are reliable. “Nona-S” and BTR-D with ZU-23 solved the tasks of direct fire support of units.

BMD-1 was supplied abroad to a limited extent (to Angola and Iraq), unless, of course, you count the BMD left in the now “independent” republics (Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova). Iraqi BMD-1s fell into the hands of the American occupiers in 2003.

The results of the second campaign in Chechnya and the experience of Russian peacekeepers in Abkhazia confirmed the long-standing demands for increasing the firepower and security of infantry fighting vehicles.

Time of heirs

By the end of the 1970s, it became clear that the possibilities of modernizing the BMD-1 and BTR-D to accommodate more powerful complexes weapons and special equipment are generally exhausted. At the same time, the Il-76 military transport aircraft, which became the main one for the Airborne Forces, and new landing equipment “softened” the requirements for the weight and dimensions of vehicles - landing from the Il-76 monocargoes weighing up to 21 tons was practiced.

The vehicle, which became known as the BMP-3 with a new weapon system (100-mm and 30-mm cannon, machine guns, guided weapon system), was originally developed to arm the Ground Forces, Airborne Forces and Marine Corps. This was manifested, in particular, in the design of the chassis with variable ground clearance and in limiting the weight of the vehicle to 18.7 tons. However, the airborne career of the BMP-3 did not take place. In 1990, the 13-ton BMD-3, created under the leadership of A.V., entered service with the Airborne Forces. Shabalin at VgTZ.

The vehicle's armament complex was not immediately determined, but in the end they settled on a combination of a 30-mm 2A42 automatic cannon and a coaxial 7.62-mm machine gun in the turret, a launcher for the 9M113 ATGM (9M113M) in the turret, as well as a 5.45 -mm machine gun and 30mm automatic grenade launcher in the front of the hull. The appearance of a mount for a 5.45-mm light machine gun is typical - paratroopers have long been asking for a mount for a light machine gun on their combat vehicle. There are three installations on the sides and for assault rifles. Getting out of the car is still done up and back - along the roof of the engine compartment. The turret became a two-seater turret: the commander, positioned next to the gunner-operator, received a better overview and could take control of the weapons. Automation of the transmission and a number of mechanisms is no less important. At first, the BMD-3 caused a lot of criticism (which is usually for a new vehicle), but those who had the opportunity to operate it noted that it was much easier to control than the BMD-1 and BMD-2. The control levers here were replaced by a steering wheel.

In the chassis of the BMD-3, Volgograd tank builders returned to single-slope road wheels - hollow rollers increase buoyancy and stability afloat. The suspension is also hydropneumatic.

The movement of the car afloat required a number of special solutions. The fact is that the Chelyabinsk diesel engine, while meeting the specifications for most of its characteristics, exceeded the required weight by almost 200 kilograms. When afloat, this gave a large trim to the stern. Among other inconveniences, this did not allow firing afloat along the shore along the water's edge. To “raise” the stern, the opening angle of the water jet dampers was limited so that a vertical component of the reaction force was created, and the spare parts boxes installed on the stern were turned into floats.

Simultaneously with the BMD-3, the PBS-950 strap-down system with the MKS-350-12M parachute system based on universal canopies was created for its landing. On August 20, 1998, during the exercises of the 104th Parachute Regiment of the 76th Airborne Division, a BMD-3 was dropped on the PBS-950 system with a full crew and troops. The parachute-free drop of the BMD-3 (without a crew) from an extremely low altitude has also been tested, although this method of landing equipment is not popular.

Meanwhile, the BMD-4 appeared on a modified chassis. The main novelty was a combat module developed at the Tula Instrument Design Bureau with a turret mounting of twin guns - 100 mm 2A70 and 30 mm 2A72 - similar to the BMP-3 weapon system. The 100 mm cannon can fire a high-explosive fragmentation projectile or a 9M117 ATGM (9M117M1-3). You can find the most conflicting reviews about the capabilities and quality of the BMD-4: some indicate that the vehicle’s chassis as a whole is perfect, but the BMD-4’s weapon system needs improvement, others are completely satisfied with the weapons and instruments, but require improvements to the chassis. However, the number of BMD-3 and BMD-4 in the troops is relatively small and the experience of their operation has not yet accumulated sufficient “statistics”. In general, experts agree that the BMD-3 and BMD-4, as new generation vehicles, require more qualified personnel for their operation (and this, given a decrease in the level of education, is a problem for the modern Russian army).

Now VgTZ has joined the Tractor Plants concern, which also includes the BMP-3 manufacturer Kurganmashzavod. And in 2008, the Kurganmashzavod demonstrated the BMD-4M vehicle with the same weapon system, but on a different chassis based on the BMP-3 units and components. Which of the “fours” the future belongs to is still unclear.

Analogs and relatives

The amphibious armored vehicles in service with our army do not yet have direct analogues abroad, although work in this direction has been going on for several years. Thus, in Germany, military weapons are in service landing vehicles"Wiesel" and "Wiesel-2". But these are vehicles of a different class: “Wiesel” - a kind of revival of a wedge with a crew of 2-3 people, a self-propelled platform for the Tou ATGM, a 20-mm automatic cannon, short-range air defense systems, radar or special equipment - to choose from; "Wiesel-2" is a kind of light armored personnel carrier of limited capacity and a platform for heavier weapons. The Chinese came closest to the idea of ​​the BMD-BTR-D, having recently presented their own WZ 506 airborne combat vehicles.

Concerning modern park combat vehicles domestic airborne forces, then the main ones are considered to be BMD-2, BTR-D and BMD-4. But it is assumed that the “old ladies” BMD-1 known reasons will remain in service until 2011.

Illustrations by Mikhail Dmitriev

Exactly 40 years ago, near Pskov, the Reaktavr parachute rocket system was first successfully tested, allowing Airborne Forces personnel to parachute directly into the equipment itself. Sergey Varshavchik recalls the details.

On January 23, 1976, near Pskov, the Reaktavr system for landing military equipment with a crew of Major Alexander Margelov and Lieutenant Colonel Leonid Shcherbakov was successfully tested for the first time. After 20 years, both were awarded the title of Hero of Russia for their courage in carrying out a risky task. The Margelov surname turned out to be forever associated with the history of the Airborne Forces.

Gaining time in battle

The system for landing the crew inside an airborne combat vehicle (BMD-1) using jet parachute traction got its name from the words “jet Centaur”. “Centaur” was the name given to the BMD-1 lowering system via a parachute landing platform. The experiment was carried out at the parachute track of the Tula training center of the 106th Guards Airborne Division.

No one had ever before thrown military equipment from an airplane along with the personnel inside. The idea belonged to the Commander-in-Chief of the Airborne Forces, Hero of the Soviet Union, Army General Vasily Margelov.

At that time, airborne equipment in the form of self-propelled artillery units, airborne combat vehicles, vehicles and engineering equipment was delivered to the ground in two ways: through parachute landing platforms and parachute-rocket systems. The latter, upon landing, in a fraction of a second damped the rate of descent of heavy loads and automatically released them from the suspension slings. The personnel descended separately by parachute.

But in order to take their places in combat vehicles, in real combat, crews sometimes need minutes, which the enemy may not provide. How to gain time? Margelov came to a paradoxical conclusion: the personnel must be parachuted in the equipment itself!

Who will sacrifice themselves?

Risk? Yes, huge. Many in the country's military leadership did not approve of this idea. Some of the multi-star generals even twirled their fingers at their temples: they say that the main paratrooper of the USSR had fantasized to the point of the impossible. Others approved the idea in principle, but believed that it was not yet technically feasible.

Finally, brave souls were needed - after all, no one could guarantee that they would not crash upon landing. You cannot give orders in such a matter. This is not a war - just an experiment, albeit a very dangerous one. When asked by Defense Minister Marshal Andrei Grechko who will be inside the BMD-1 launch, Vasily Margelov firmly answered that he himself. He could not answer otherwise. He had to do everything to ensure that the airborne troops reached high quality new level combat training.

One of the best

During the Great Patriotic War, paratroopers established themselves as one of the most persistent fighters of the Red Army. They fought back into the interior of the country at the beginning of the war, fought valiantly in the ranks of the defenders of Moscow and Stalingrad, participated in the Battle of Kursk, took part in the capture of Vienna and the battles for Berlin.

But despite the fact that Soviet paratroopers repeatedly carried out airborne operations during the war, in most battles they fought as infantry, albeit highly trained ones. Therefore, after the war, with the advent of the atomic era, the Airborne Forces faced new tasks: to become what is now called rapid reaction troops.

Until 1954, the country's airborne troops were alternately led by 7 generals, among whom we can note the first commander of the Airborne Forces, Twice Hero of the Soviet Union Vasily Glazunov, as well as Hero of the Soviet Union Alexander Gorbatov.

Uncle Vasya's troops

However, despite their military merits, the commanders did not stay long in the post of commander-in-chief of the Airborne Forces. As a result, the personnel reshuffle had a negative impact on the combat training of the troops entrusted to them.

The fact that by the 80s of the twentieth century the Airborne Forces had become the most massive and combat-ready among their kind in the world is the merit, first of all, of the man who led them for many decades - General Margelov.

It is no coincidence that in the airborne forces the abbreviation VDV is still unofficially deciphered as “Uncle Vasya’s troops.” “Our Chapai,” Vasily Filippovich’s subordinates respectfully called him.

Like most previous commanders of the Airborne Forces, Margelov came from other branches of the military, but was quite familiar with the airborne specifics - before his appointment he commanded the 76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Division, and then was the commander of the 37th Guards Airborne Svirsky Red Banner Corps.

Paratrooper at 40 years old

It is curious that he made his first parachute jump at the age of 40 - before taking command of the paratroopers. At the same time, he made a bet on several jumps with another newly promoted airborne division commander, Hero of the Soviet Union, General Mikhail Denisenko, who crashed during another parachute jump in 1949. Fate protected Margelov - until the end of his life he made more than 60 air landings.

During the Battle of Moscow, he commanded the 1st Special Ski Regiment of the Marine Corps. Being the commander of the Airborne Forces, Margelov did not forget his brave sailors, introducing a vest into the paratroopers’ uniform as a sign of continuity from one brave branch of troops to another. Another striking feature of the paratrooper was his beret - first crimson (following the example of Western paratroopers), and then blue.

Margelov's reforms included not only changes in uniforms. The new commander of the Airborne Forces abandoned the outdated doctrine of using airborne troops only as a means to hold bridgeheads until the main forces arrived. In conditions modern warfare passive defense inevitably led to defeat.

New military equipment

Margelov believed that after the drop, the paratroopers should conduct active, offensive actions, not allowing the stunned enemy to come to their senses, and counterattack them. However, in order for paratroopers to be able to maneuver widely, they needed to be equipped with their own armored vehicles, increase their firepower and update the aircraft fleet.

During the Great Patriotic War, for example, winged infantry fought mainly with small arms. After the war, the troops began to be equipped with special airborne equipment. By the time Margelov assumed the post of commander, the Airborne Forces consisted of light self-propelled artillery installation ASU-57 with modifications.

Vasily Filippovich gave the task to the military-industrial complex to develop a more modern airborne artillery vehicle. As a result, ASU-57 was replaced by ASU-85, developed on the basis of the PT-76 light amphibious tank. On the battlefield, a combat vehicle was also required for the movement of personnel in radioactively contaminated areas. The BMP-1 army infantry fighting vehicle was not suitable for airborne troops due to its heavy weight (13 tons) during landing.

"Thunder" of landing vehicles

As a result, at the end of the 60s, the BMD-1 (airborne combat vehicle) was adopted, whose weight was just over 7 tons, the armament was a semi-automatic 2A28 “Thunder” cannon, and the crew consisted of seven people. Self-propelled artillery guns, fire control vehicles, reconnaissance and command post vehicles were developed on the basis of the BMD-1.

Through the efforts of Margelov, the battered Li-2, Il-14, Tu-2 and Tu-4 aircraft were replaced with powerful and modern An-22 and Il-76, which made it possible to take on board significantly more paratroopers and military equipment than before. “Uncle Vasya” also took care of improving the paratroopers’ personal weapons. Margelov personally met with the developer of the famous assault rifle, Mikhail Kalashnikov, and agreed to create an “airborne” version of the AK, with a folding metal butt.

Son instead of father

After the Minister of Defense did not agree with the participation of the Commander-in-Chief of the Airborne Forces in testing the Reaktavr system, he offered one of his five sons, Major Alexander Margelov, to the crew. Alexander Vasilyevich was an employee of the Scientific and Technical Committee of the Airborne Forces, which was responsible for preparing equipment and personnel for landing.

The personal example of Margelov’s son was supposed to convince the Airborne Forces of the success of the new landing option. Another participant in the experiment was Margelov Jr.’s colleague at the Scientific and Technical Commission of the Airborne Forces, Lieutenant Colonel Leonid Shcherbakov.

On January 23, 1976, for the first time, a parachute-propelled landing was carried out from an An-12 BMD-1 military transport aircraft. After landing, the crew immediately fired blank shells briefly, demonstrating their readiness for combat.

During Margelov's tests on command post chain-smoked his favorite Belomor and kept a loaded pistol at the ready so that in case of failure he would shoot himself. But everything turned out well.

The development of a new combat vehicle - “object 915” - began in 1965 at the Volgograd Tractor Plant Design Bureau (VgTZ), headed by I.V. Gavalov. The designers had to create a high-speed, lightly armored, tracked, amphibious airborne combat vehicle with combat capabilities similar to the ground-based BMP-1 that was being developed at that time. The initial plan provided for the creation of a conventional landing unit, consisting of the vehicle itself, the MKS-5-128R multi-dome parachute system and the P-7 serial landing platform. The platform was intended to roll the block into the plane, ensure its exit from the plane using a pilot chute, and cushion the landing. However, the required landing mass, determined by the carrying capacity of the An-12 aircraft for a given number of simultaneously loaded combat vehicles, did not allow the creation of a vehicle with a corresponding TTZ dead weight. In order to ultimately meet the weight limit, the idea was proposed to use a hydropneumatic suspension with variable ground clearance on the car. This implied the possibility of implementing the following scheme: a block (a machine with a parachute system) independently enters the plane, then lowers to the bottom and is moored for the duration of the flight; when ejected, the block on the bottom moves along the roller conveyor of the aircraft's cargo deck and leaves the side. In addition, it was assumed that during the flight to the ground, the vehicle's road wheels would automatically lower to maximum ground clearance. Then the suspension, brought into working condition, will play the role of a shock absorber upon landing. However, it soon became clear that such a decision would lead to unpredictable bouncing of the car after landing and a possible capsize. In this case, the car inevitably had to become entangled in the lines of the parachute system. This problem was solved with the help of special disposable shock-absorbing skis, but the road wheels had to be fixed during the landing in a special upper position “D”, right up to the unmooring operation, which was carried out on the ground.

In 1969, the airborne combat vehicle “Object 915” was adopted by the airborne troops Soviet army under the designation BMD-1. Since 1968, it has been mass-produced at VgTZ.

1 and 21 - inserts with embrasures; 2 - upper frontal sheet; 3 - base of the driver's hatch; 4 and 6 - roof sheets; 5 - ring; 7 and 8 - stops for installing the platform of the parachute-jet system; 9,14 and 20 - rear, middle and front upper side sheets; 10 - ring for installing and fastening the final drive; 11 - hatch for ball mounting for AKMS assault rifle; 12 - hole for supporting the air spring; 13 - holes for the axis of the support roller; 15 - balancer support bracket; 16 - lower side sheet; 17 - balancer bracket; 18 - hole for the guide wheel crank bracket; 19 - towing hook; 22 - lower frontal sheet; 23 - hinge doors of the wave-reflective shield

1 - hinge flaps of the wave-reflective shield; 2 - vehicle commander’s hatch; 3 - clip for observation device; 4 - hole for the TNPP-220 device; 5 - machine gunner's hatch; 6 - aft hatch cover; 7 - hole for installing the supercharger valves of the collective protection system; 8 - hole for the MK-4s device; 9 - removable engine air intake cover; 10 and 27 - hatches for access to the filling necks of fuel tanks; 11 and 24 - removable covers for access to water and oil pipelines; 12 and 16 - removable roof sheets for access to the power compartment; 13 - protective grille with mesh; 14 - outlet of the drain pipe; 15 - rear inclined sheet; 17 - hole for water flow pipe; 18 - hole for installing the water jet damper glass; 19 - towing device; 20 - stern sheet; 21 - bracket for installing a removable ski mounting bracket; 22 - pad (breaker fist); 23 - hatch for ball mounting for AKMS assault rifle; 25 - hole for antenna input cup; 26 - hatch for access to the oil tank filler neck; 28 - hatch for access to the filling neck of the cooling system; 29 - hinge flaps for parachute systems; 30 - hole for the exhaust fan valve; 31 - hole for installing VZU equipment PRHR

The BMD-1 has a layout layout that is classic for tanks, but unusual for infantry fighting vehicles: the fighting compartment is located in the middle part of the hull, and the engine compartment is in the rear. The hull is welded from relatively thin armor plates - for the first time in the practice of Soviet mechanical engineering, aluminum armor was used. This made the car much lighter, but at the expense of security. The armor could only protect the crew from small arms fire of 7.62 mm caliber and shell fragments. The upper frontal plate is very strongly inclined to the vertical - 78°, the angle of inclination of the lower one is much less and is 50°. This decision was dictated by the desire to increase the volume of internal space, as well as the buoyancy of the machine. The wave-reflective shield, which lies on the front frontal plate when driving on land, serves as additional protection. The body in the bow narrows, it cross section has a T-shape with developed fender niches. The turret is welded from steel armor, borrowed from the BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle. Its frontal parts protect against 12.7 mm armor-piercing bullets.

In the front part of the body along the axis of the machine there is workplace driver mechanic. To enter and exit the car, it has an individual hatch, the cover of which lifts and slides to the right. While driving the car, the driver can observe the terrain in a 60° sector using three prismatic observation devices TNPO-170. To monitor the movement of the BMD afloat, instead of the middle TNPO-170 device, the TNP-350B device with increased periscope is installed. To drive a car at night, instead of the average daytime observation device, a night-time non-illuminated binocular observation device TVNE-4 is installed. To the left of the driver is the seat of the BMD commander, who enters and exits the vehicle through his hatch. The commander is equipped with a periscope heated observation device - the TNPP-220 sight, in which the sight arm has a 1.5-fold magnification and a field of view angle of 10°, and the observation arm has viewing angles of 21° vertically and 87° horizontally. The same TNPP-220 device is installed on the machine gunner sitting to the right of the driver. At night, the commander uses the TVNE-4 device. Paratroopers stationed behind fighting compartment at the aft partition of the MTO, two prismatic heated devices TNPO-170 and a periscopic device MK-4S (in the aft hatch) are used.

1 - bracket for connecting the pilot chute lock; 2 - bracket for attaching shock-absorbing skis; 3 - pad for attaching the PRS probe; 4 - emphasis for shock-absorbing skis; 5 - hole for releasing gases from the heater boiler; 6 - hatch for draining oil from the tank; 7 - protective grille of the water jet; 8 - brackets for fastening the PRS probe; 9 - hatch for access to the pressure reducing valve of the engine oil pump; 10 - hatch for draining oil from the gearbox; 11 - grip for installing removable brackets for fastening shock-absorbing skis; 12 - rear towing hook; 13 - hatch for draining oil from the engine; 14 - hatch for draining fuel from tanks; 15 - hole for draining coolant; 16 - hatch for access to the tension mechanism of the mechanized ammunition conveyor

In the middle part of the hull there is a fighting compartment with a single-seat turret, borrowed from the BMP-1, inside which there is a gunner’s seat. It serves a 73 mm caliber 2A28 Grom semi-automatic smoothbore gun with concentrically located recoil devices and a coaxial 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. The gun has a wedge breech and a sector lifting mechanism. The height of the firing line is from 1245 to 1595 mm, depending on the established ground clearance. Direct shot range at a target 2 m high is 765 m. The longest sighting range is 1300 m. Combat rate of fire is 6 - 7 rounds/min. Ammunition for the gun - 40 PG-15V rounds with cumulative anti-tank grenades is located in a mechanized (conveyor) stowage located around the circumference of the turret on a rotating platform, as in the BMP-1. Since one of the most important requirements for the vehicle was its low weight, the designers had to simplify (compared to the BMP-1) the automatic loader. The conveyor delivered the projectile selected by the gunner to the loading point, after which the gunner had to manually carry it and insert it into the breech. The simultaneous solution of such tasks as searching for targets, aiming a gun, loading it and firing is quite a complex problem for one person, so the psychophysical data of the gunner noticeably deteriorated depending on the duration of hostilities and the number of shots fired. The armament of the tower was supplemented by a launcher of anti-tank guided missiles - ATGM (according to the then terminology: rockets- ATGM) 9M14M “Baby”, access to which is through a special hatch in the roof. The rocket is controlled through the wires of a single-channel system, in which control forces in the pitch and heading planes are created by one executive body. The control is divided into two mutually perpendicular planes due to the forced rotation of the rocket in flight at a frequency of 8.5 rpm. In total, the vehicle carries three ATGMs (two in the turret and one in the hull) and 2,000 rounds of ammunition for the coaxial machine gun. The latter are loaded into belts, which are placed in two magazines of 1000 rounds each, placed in a cartridge-link collector. After installing the magazines in place, the tapes are connected to each other by a cartridge.

1 - commander's hatch cover; 2 - stopper; 3 and 16 - screens; 4 - driver's hatch cover; 5 - machine gunner hatch cover; 6 - belt handle; 7 and 15 - hinge doors; 8 - hole for observation device; 9 - hole for the ball device; 10 - aft hatch cover; 11 - bracket; 12 - torsion bar; 13 - finger; 14 - locking screw; 17 - emphasis; 18 - loop

Like the BMP-1, the turret's armament is not stabilized. Guidance in the horizontal and vertical planes is carried out using electric drives. If they fail, the gunner can use a manual drive.

To observe the terrain and fire, the gunner has at his disposal a combined (day and unilluminated night) monocular periscope sight 1PN22M1.

1 - 73 mm smoothbore gun; 2 - driver's seat; 3 - accumulator battery; 4 - distribution panel; 5 - 7.62 mm machine gun, coaxial with a gun; 6 - machine gunner's seat; 7 - supercharger of the collective protection system; 8,9 and 31 - shooters' seats; 10 - ball mount for firing from machine guns; 11 - relay regulator; 12 - manual hydraulic pump; 13 - generator blowing fan; 14 - hydraulic pump drive clutch; 15 - removable engine air intake cover; 16 - filler neck of the right lower fuel tank; 17.28 - fuel tanks; 18 - hydraulic system reservoir; 19 - water radiator; 20 - protective cover over the outlet valve of the sump pump; 21 - water pump; 22 - rear marker light; 23 - protective grille with mesh; 24 - water pipe; 25 - antenna input; 26 - power block; 27 - oil tank assembled with the heater boiler; 29 - coarse fuel filter; 30 - hydraulic pump; 32 - rotating tower; 33 - gunner-operator seat; 34 - exhaust fan; 35 - sight; 36 - commander's seat; 37 - PRHR sensor; 38 - power supply; 39 - PRHR control panel; 40 - switching block; 41 - apparatus A-1 tank intercom; 42 - installation of a 7.62 mm machine gun; 43 - box for machine gun belt; 44 - radio station; 45 - power supply unit for direction indicator; 46 - air cylinder

1 - gyro-compass; 2 - radio power supply; 3 - machine gun installation; 4 - driver's seat; 5 - radio station; 6 - observation device with a built-in sighting tube; 7 - central shield of the driver; 8 - driver's hatch; 9 - driver observation devices; 10 - power supply unit for the driver’s night observation device; 11 - battery; 12 - magazine box; 13 - battery switch; 14 - valve-reducer of the engine air intake system

The sight embrasure is located on the left side of the turret roof in front of the gunner's hatch. In night mode, the visibility range depends on the background of the area, the transparency of the atmosphere and the amount of natural light and averages 400 m. The field of view angle is 6°, the magnification factor is 6.7. IN daytime mode The sight has a 6x magnification and a field of view of 15°. In the eyepiece to the right of the aiming reticle there is a rangefinder scale designed for a target with a height of 2.7 m. In addition to the sight, the gunner uses four TNPO-170 periscopic devices to monitor the terrain.

In the embrasures along the edges of the frontal part of the hull, two PKT machine guns are installed in ball bearings. The vehicle commander and machine gunner fire from them. The ammunition load of each machine gun consists of 1000 rounds, placed in four standard boxes. The maximum effective firing range using the TNPP-220 sight is 800 - 1000 m.

In the middle part of the vehicle's hull, on both sides and in the aft hatch cover, there is one ball mount for firing from AKMS assault rifles. Ball installations located on the sides are closed by armored flaps, which are opened manually from the shooters' workplaces.

In the rear part of the hull there is an engine-transmission compartment in which a 6-cylinder V-shaped four-stroke liquid-cooled 5D20 compressor-free diesel engine is installed, developing a power of 240 hp. (176 kW) at 2400 rpm. Taking into account the small weight of the machine - only 6700 kg - this gives a very high value specific power - 32 hp/t, which, in turn, allows the vehicle to reach a maximum speed of more than 60 km/h. Engine displacement - 15,900 cm 3, weight - 665 kg. Power is taken from the engine to the transmission on the flywheel side, and to the hydraulic pump drive - HLU-39 on the opposite side.

Fuel - diesel DL, DZ or YES. The total capacity of fuel tanks is 280 l. Fuel is supplied using a six-piston block pump high pressure.

A special feature of the air supply system is the air intake device, which consists of two kinematically connected valves that alternately block the air intake from outside the vehicle and from the fighting compartment, which increases the safety of movement afloat. The air intake from the engine is heated.

The cooling system is ejection and also provides dust extraction from the air cleaner and ventilation of the MTO. It includes a calorifier-type heater for heating the fighting compartment.

1 - embrasure cheek; 2 - gun embrasure; 3 - holes for wedges; 4 - cutout for a machine gun; 5 - hatch for installing 9M14M; 6 - eye; 7 - hole for fan; 8 - operator's hatch; 9 - ring; 10 - tower roof; 11 - clips for surveillance devices; 12 - hole for mounting a sight

1 - sleeve link collector; 2 - roller; 3 - sleeve-link collector cover; 4 - PKT store; 5 - lock; 6 - rib; 7 - lifting mechanism; 8 - gun 2A28; 9 - launch bracket; 10 - mounting bracket for the lifting mechanism; 11 - sector; 12 - eccentric handle; 13 - bracket; 14 - observation device; 15 - guide; 16 - drive roller; 17 - intermediate roller; 18 - conveyor drive; 19 - sight 1PN22M1; 20 - front support of the turret rotation mechanism; 21 - thrust; 22 - ATGM control panel; 23 - gunner-operator seat; 24 - conveyor frame; 25 - guide mounting bracket; 26 - roller bracket; 27 - centering roller; 28 - platform suspension bracket in the tower; 29 - rear hinge support of the turret rotation mechanism; 30 - turret rotation mechanism; 31 - connection rod between the sight and the gun; 32 - roller for installing the guide; 33 - PKT machine gun, coaxial with a gun; 34 - conveyor chain; 35 - platform; 36 - centering ring; 37 - guide support

1 - bushing; 2 - intermediate clip; 3 - outer ring; 4 - nut; 5 - rubber ring; 6 - seal; 7 - spring; 8 - support; 9 - travel stopper; 10 - sleeve link outlet; 11 - housing roof; 12 - outer disk; 13 - internal disk; 14 - body; 15 - observation device - sight TNPP-220; 16 - protective cap; 17 - axis; 18 - forehead protector; 19 - eccentric clamp; 20 - electric trigger button of the machine gun; 21 - handle; 22 - bunker; 23 - frame for installing a box with tape; 24 - front pillar; 25 - frame with sliders; 26 - bed; 27 - torsion balancing device; 28 - bracket; 29 - torsion bar

The main method of starting the engine is with an electric starter; air starting is possible, but the car does not have a compressor. There is an automatic mechanism for protecting the engine from water ingress, preventing its penetration into the engine cylinders when it stops while overcoming a water obstacle or washing.

The engine is interlocked with a transmission consisting of a single-disc dry friction clutch, a four-speed manual gearbox with constant mesh gears and synchronizers in 3rd and 4th gears, two side clutches with band brakes and two single-stage planetary final drives. The side clutches are multi-disc, with steel-on-steel friction. The main clutch, gearbox, and side clutches are connected to the engine into one power unit. In addition, gearboxes that drive water-jet propulsors are installed in the engine-transmission compartment. A radiator for the engine cooling system is placed above the gearbox. Air circulation through the radiator is ensured thanks to the shutters in the upper plate of the housing.

The BMD-1 chassis, applied to one side, consists of five rubberized dual ribbed road wheels made of light alloy. The role of elastic suspension elements is performed by hydropneumatic springs, combined into a single system. As elastic element they use compressed nitrogen, the force of which is transmitted through a liquid.

1 and 2 - magazine boxes for the right-hand machine gun; 3,4 and 9 - bags for signal and lighting cartridges (missiles); 5 and 7 - stowage of 9M14M ATGM shells; 6 - mechanized (conveyor) stacking for 40 PG-15v rounds; 8 - bags for F-1 hand grenades; 10-slots for stowing grenades for RPG-7; 11,12 and 13 - box magazines for the left directional machine gun; 14-- lower magazine box for a coaxial machine gun; 15 - upper magazine box for coaxial machine gun

1 - crankcase; 2 - flywheel; 3 - pointer arrow: 4 - tachometer sensor; 5 - block head; 6 - block head cover; 7 - coolant outlet fitting; 8 - fine fuel filter; 9 - exhaust manifold; 10 - high pressure tube; 11 - fuel pump; 12 - fuel priming pump; 13 - rod for measuring the oil level in the regulator; 14 - centrifugal oil filter; 15 - all-mode regulator; 16 - fuel pump control lever; 17 - cover of the access hatch to the nozzle; 18 - intake manifold; 19 - generator; 20 - air distributor; 21 - starter gear

Hydropneumatic suspension is more complex than torsion bar suspension, but has more favorable elasticity characteristics over a wide range of loads. In addition, it combines the functions of an elastic spring, a hydraulic shock absorber that dampens body vibrations, an actuator power cylinder when the vehicle's ground clearance changes from 100 to 450 mm, and a mechanism for holding the road wheels in the upper position when the body is suspended. The suspension allows you to reduce the overall height of the vehicle when stopping and driving on a flat road, hang it when installed on a landing platform, and reduce the protruding undercarriage when moving afloat. All suspension elements and ground clearance adjustments are located inside the body. The guide wheels are located at the front of the housing. The track tension is changed using a hydraulically driven crank mechanism. The process of tensioning and loosening the tracks is controlled by the driver from his seat, without leaving the car. The BMD-1 uses small-link caterpillars with OMSh, consisting of 87 tracks each. In the middle part of the tracks, there are guide ridges on their inner surface. The upper branches of the caterpillars rest on four single-pitch rubberized support rollers, two of them (the middle ones) located outside the ridges, and the outer ones behind them. The caterpillar track is not covered with protective screens.

Movement on water is carried out by water-jet propulsors located in the engine-transmission compartment along the sides of the vehicle's hull. The water cannons are mounted in tunnels, the inlets of which are located in the bottom of the vehicle, and the outlets in its stern. The inlet and outlet openings are closed with special sliding flaps, which perform the functions of both protection and steering when swimming. Closing the valves of one of the water cannons causes the machine to turn. The BMD-1 floats perfectly on the water, while possessing good swimming speed (up to 10 km/h) and maneuverability. During swimming, a wave-reflective shield rises in the front part of the hull, preventing water from flooding the front part of the hull of the machine.

The additional equipment equipped with the BMD-1 includes a collective protection system against weapons of mass destruction, an automatic fire extinguishing system, as well as water pumping and smoke-generating equipment.

To ensure external communications, the R-123M radio station is installed on the airborne combat vehicle. Communication inside the vehicle is provided by the R-124 tank intercom for five subscribers.

On the basis of the BMD-1, since 1971, the BMD-1 K command vehicle was produced, on which the following were additionally installed: a second radio station R-123M; antenna filter; second device A2 of the R-124 intercom; gas-electric unit; heading indicator; heater and fan of the middle compartment; radiation and chemical reconnaissance device PRHR (instead of the GD-1M gamma sensor); two removable tables. To improve the commander's working conditions, the left directional machine gun mount was removed from the vehicle.

In 1974, the BTR-D tracked armored personnel carrier, created under the leadership of A.V. Shabalin at the VgTZ design bureau using components and assemblies of the BMD-1, was adopted by the airborne troops. Prototypes of this vehicle underwent military tests in the 119th Parachute Regiment of the 7th Guards. Airborne Division, which has since become a kind of base for testing new equipment.

The appearance of the BTR-D was not accidental. Strict requirements for limiting weight forced the dimensions and, accordingly, the capacity of the BMD-1 to be limited. It could accommodate only seven people: two crew members and five paratroopers (for comparison: in the BMP-1 - 11). Thus, in order to put the Airborne Forces “on armor”, too many combat vehicles would be required. Therefore, the idea arose to develop an armored personnel carrier based on the BMD-1, weaker armed, but having a larger capacity. It differed from the BMD-1 by having a body lengthened by almost 483 mm, the presence of an additional pair of road wheels, and the absence of a turret with weapons. The BTR-D's armament consisted of two front-facing 7.62-mm PKT machine guns mounted in the nose of the vehicle, similar to the BMD-1, and four 902V "Tucha" smoke grenade launchers, mounted in pairs on the rear wall of the troop compartment. In the second half of the 1980s, some vehicles were equipped with a 30-mm AGS-17 “Plamya” automatic grenade launcher, mounted on a bracket on the right side of the hull roof. The permanent crew of the BTR-D consists of three people: a driver and two machine gunners; the troop compartment accommodates ten paratroopers. On the sides of the troop compartment, the height of which, compared to the entire hull, is slightly increased, there are two embrasures with ball mounts for firing from AKMS assault rifles and two prismatic heated devices TNPO-170. In the aft hatch there is an MK-4S periscope device and another ball mount for firing from a machine gun. Observation in the front sector from the troop compartment can be carried out through two rectangular viewing windows, which are closed with armored covers in the combat position. In front of the roof of the troop compartment there is a landing commander's hatch, borrowed from the BMP-1. The observation sector through the TKN-ZB device and two TNPO-170 devices installed on the hatch is expanded due to its rotation on a ball bearing. Despite the increased size, due to the abandonment of the turret with weapons, the combat weight of the BTR-D, compared to the BMD-1, increased by only 800 kg.

In 1979, based on the BTR-D, the BTR-RD “Robot” armored personnel carrier was created, equipped with a 9P135M launcher. anti-tank complex“Competition” for the 9M113 ATGM or 9P135M-1 for the 9M111 “Fagot” ATGM. It entered service with the anti-tank units of the airborne troops. Later, on the basis of the BTR-D, the BTR-ZD “Skrezhet” was created to transport crews of anti-aircraft missile systems (six Strela-3 MANPADS). This machine is also used as a chassis for mounting on the roof of a 23 mm twin automatic anti-aircraft gun ZU-23-2 on a field carriage.

The BTR-D served as the basis for the creation of the 2S9 Nona self-propelled artillery gun and the 1B119 Rheostat artillery control vehicle. The latter is equipped with a ground target reconnaissance radar with a detection range of up to 14 km, a laser rangefinder (detectable distance up to 8 km), day and night observation devices, a topographic surveyor, an on-board computer, two R-123 radio stations, one R-107. The crew is accommodated in the control room, the instruments are installed in a rotating turret. Armament includes a course PKT, MANPADS, and three Mukha-type RPGs.

The command and staff vehicle of the "regiment - brigade" link KShM-D "Soroka" is equipped with two R-123 radio stations, two R-111 radio stations, an R-130 reconnaissance radio station and classified communications equipment. The battalion-level BMD-KSh "Sinitsa" has two R-123 radio stations.

The BREM-D armored repair and recovery vehicle is equipped with a boom crane, a traction winch, a shovel opener and a welding machine.

On the basis of the BTR-D, the R-440 ODB Phobos satellite communications station, a sanitary armored personnel carrier, as well as launch and control stations for remotely piloted aircraft of the Bee and Shmel types of the Malachite aerial surveillance complex were produced.

In the late 1970s, BMD-1s were subject to changes during major overhauls. In particular, on some vehicles a block of smoke grenade launchers of the 902V “Tucha” system was installed in the rear part of the turret; on others, the road wheels were replaced with newer ones (later such rollers appeared on the BMD-2).

1 - bottom; 2 and 6 - prisms; 3 - transition frame; 4 - upper body; 5 - intermediate prism; 7 - cover; 8 - visor; 9 - safety cushion; 10 - clip; 11 - forehead protector; 12 - lower body; 13 - eccentric clamp; 14 - toggle switch

In 1978, a modernized version of the BMD-1P was put into service with increased firepower due to the installation, instead of the Malyutka ATGM, of a PU for firing ATGMs of the Konkurs or Fagot complex with semi-automatic guidance, increased armor penetration and an extended range of distances combat use. The complex is designed 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 launcher of the 9M14M complex on the gun mantlet has been dismantled , and on the roof of the turret there is a bracket for mounting the 9P135M launcher machine of the Konkurs (Bassoon) complex. The shooter can aim and launch an ATGM by leaning out of the turret hatch. The ammunition load consists of two 9M113 missiles and one 9M111 missile, which are stowed inside the body in standard launch containers. In the stowed position, a launcher is placed inside the body, and in addition, a tripod, which allows for guidance and launch of ATGMs from the ground.

The ammunition load of the 2A28 gun includes 16 OG-15V rounds with fragmentation grenades. In mechanized laying, they are spaced evenly - after three PG-15V shots, two OG-15V are stacked. The ammunition load for the PKT course machine guns is 1940 rounds in belts of 250 rounds, packed in six boxes; 440 rounds are in original packaging. The vehicle is also equipped with improved surveillance devices and a 1PN22M2 sight, new rollers, and the engine and transmission have undergone some modifications. The combat weight of the BMD-1P increased to 7.6 tons.

BMD-1 airborne combat vehicles began to enter service with the troops in 1968, that is, even before their official adoption. The first to receive new equipment and begin to master it was the 108th Parachute Regiment of the 7th Guards. Airborne Division, which became the first regiment fully armed with BMD-1. In the remaining shelves at first new technology Only one battalion was equipped. The first division equipped with new equipment was the 44th Guards. Airborne Division, followed by the 7th Guards. vdd. According to the staff, the parachute regiment is supposed to have 101 BMD-1 and 23 BTR-D, not counting the combat vehicles for various purposes at their base. The process of arming the airborne troops with combat vehicles was completed only by the beginning of the 1980s.

In parallel with the development of new technology, during the 1970s there was a process of mastering the means of landing it. At the first stage, the P-7 parachute platform and the MKS-5-128M and MKS-5-128R multi-dome parachute systems were used to land the BMD-1 and BTR-D. The P-7 parachute platform is a metal structure on removable wheels, designed for landing cargo with a flight weight of 3750 to 9500 kg from Il-76 aircraft at a flight speed of 260 - 400 km/h, and from An-12B and An-22 - at 320 - 400 km/h. The versatility of the platforms, the multiplicity of proven mooring options and the presence of a full set of fasteners made it possible to land literally anything on them - from a combat vehicle to a caterpillar tractor or field kitchens. Depending on the mass of the landing cargo, the object was installed different quantity blocks of the parachute system (from 3 to 5, 760 m each). When landing at speeds of 300 - 450 km/h and a minimum drop height of 500 meters, the rate of descent of objects is no more than 8 m/s. To absorb the shock at the moment of landing, air or honeycomb shock absorbers are used.

By the end of 1972, quite a lot of experience had been accumulated in dropping BMD on multi-dome parachute systems and special platforms. The paratroopers successfully used new combat vehicles in large tactical exercises; they took them from the sky, unmoored them and entered into “battle” with them. The systems had a fairly high reliability, confirmed by a large number of landings - 0.98. For comparison: the reliability of a conventional parachute is 0.99999, that is, one failure per 100 thousand uses.

However, there were also disadvantages. The weight of the platform with wheels and mooring means, depending on the type of vehicle and aircraft, was from 1.6 to 1.8 tons. Preparation for landing required quite a long time, and transportation of systems to airfields took a long time. large quantity freight vehicles. It was difficult to load moored cars onto planes. The low speed of descent of the BMD on multi-dome parachute systems was also not satisfactory. In addition, when landing, the domes interfered with the movement of combat vehicles; they got into the tracks, melted, causing the movers to jam. The greatest difficulty lay elsewhere. From aircraft of different types dropped from one (An-12) to four (An-22) vehicles, the crews jumped after them. Sometimes the paratroopers scattered at a distance of up to five kilometers from their BMDs and searched for them for a long time.

At the turn of the 1960s - 1970s, the commander of the Airborne Forces, General of the Army V.F. Margelov, conceived a bold and, at first glance, unrealizable idea - to parachute people directly into the equipment, and not separately, as was done before. This achieved a significant gain in time and increased mobility. airborne units. Margelov understood perfectly well that with a significant scattering of paratroopers and equipment, the combat mission might turn out to be impossible - the enemy would destroy most of the landing party immediately after landing.

In the summer of 1971, development began on the “parachute system - combat vehicle - man” complex, which received the code designation “Centaur”. It was created at the beginning of 1972. The testers began dumping the mock-up of the machine with people. Overload tolerance was checked by specialists from the State Research Institute of Aviation and space medicine. The vehicles were equipped with simplified space chairs of the “Kazbek” - “Kazbek-D” type. After receiving positive results, a stage of technical landings of the complex from aircraft followed. Then - resetting the BMD with dogs - the results are also excellent; the animals tolerated the overload normally. In mid-December 1972, testers L. Zuev and A. Margelov (son of the commander of the Airborne Forces) and five backups (cadets of the Ryazan School and athletes of the Central Sports Parachute Club of the Airborne Forces) under the leadership of the deputy commander for the airborne service, Lieutenant General I.I. Lisov On a special simulator near the village of Medvezhye Lakes near Moscow, they underwent final training for landing inside a combat vehicle.

The idea of ​​landing people inside the BMD was put into practice on January 5, 1973, when at the Slobodka parachuteport (near Tula), the Centaur crew - commander Lieutenant Colonel L. Zuev and gunner-operator Senior Lieutenant A. Margelov - fell on their heads for the first time in world history “enemy” from the sky in airborne combat vehicles.

A total of 34 landings of systems of this type were carried out, in which 74 people took part. From the An-12 aircraft, the BMD-1 and the entire crew landed inside. This happened at the Ryazan Airborne Command School on August 26, 1975. The use of a joint landing complex allowed the crews of combat vehicles to prepare the vehicle for battle in the first minutes after landing, without wasting time on finding it, as before, which significantly reduced the time it took for the landing force to enter the battle. Subsequently, work to improve joint landing systems continued.

Other shortcomings of multi-dome parachute systems were eliminated in the PRSM-915 parachute-rocket system adopted by the Airborne Forces. It's platformless parachute landing craft, designed for landing specially prepared cargo and military equipment from Il-76 and An-22 aircraft equipped with roller conveyor equipment, or from an An-12B aircraft equipped with a TG-12M transporter. Distinctive feature PRSM-915, in comparison with the MKS-5-128R with the P-7 parachute platform, is the following: instead of five blocks of main parachutes in the MKS-5-128R, each of which has an area of ​​760 m2, in PRSM-915 only one is used main parachute with an area of ​​540 m?; Instead of a parachute platform with a shock absorber, a jet engine-braker is used.

The operation of parachute-jet systems is based on the principle of instantaneous damping of the vertical descent speed at the moment of landing due to the thrust of jet engines mounted on the object itself. At the beginning, after separation from the aircraft, the main parachute is put into operation using the EPS (exhaust parachute system), which dampens and stabilizes the falling speed. At this time, the automation of the reactive system is activated; a special generator spins up and charges a large capacitor - its charge will then be used to ignite the brake motor. Two probes, lowered vertically down, have contact contacts at their ends. When they touch the ground, they trigger the powder jet engine, which instantly reduces the vertical speed from 25 m/s to zero. The length of the probes is set depending on the mass of the object, the height of the terrain and the air temperature in the release area.

1 - support; 2 - power hydraulic cylinder; 3 - lever; 4 - crank; 5 - guide wheel; 6 - air spring; 7 - support roller; 8.9 - supporting rollers; 10 - balancer stop; 11 - drive wheel; 12 - final drive; 13 - track

The advantage of this system is that an additional platform is not required to land objects. All elements of the PRS are attached and transported on the machine itself. Disadvantages include some difficulty in organizing the storage of elements of the PRS, their use only for a certain type of military equipment, and greater dependence on external factors: temperature, air humidity.

On January 23, 1976, the Reactavr or Jet Centaur joint landing complex was tested using the PRSM-915 parachute-jet system. In the landing combat vehicle were Lieutenant Colonel L. Shcherbakov and, as in the case of the “Centaur,” the son of the Airborne Forces commander A. Margelov. The tests were successful. In subsequent years, about 100 landings of the Reactavr system were carried out.

The practice of large-scale training landings by airborne troops became characteristic of the 1970s. In March 1970, for example, a major combined arms exercise “Dvina” was held in Belarus, in which the 76th Guards Airborne Chernigov Red Banner Division took part. In just 22 minutes, more than 7 thousand paratroopers and over 150 units of military equipment were landed.

The experience of airlifting a significant amount of military equipment and personnel was useful when sending troops into Afghanistan. In December 1979, formations and units of the Airborne Forces, conducting essentially independent airborne operation, landed in Afghanistan at the airfields of Kabul and Bagram and completed their assigned tasks before the arrival of ground forces.

The use of BMD-1 and BTR-D in Afghanistan was not very successful and therefore short-lived. The thin armor of the bottom and the small mass of the vehicles meant that when exploded by powerful landmines, they were practically destroyed into their component parts. Weaker anti-tank mines either completely destroyed the chassis or pierced the bottom.

The impossibility of firing on mountain slopes and the low effectiveness of 73-mm shells against adobe walls were immediately revealed. Therefore, most airborne units in Afghanistan switched to the ground BMP-2, and then to a variant with reinforced armor - the BMP-2D. Fortunately, there was no need for an airborne combat vehicle in Afghanistan, and the paratroopers fought there as elite infantry.

BMD-1 and BTR-D were not exported. However, judging by Western publications, Cuba received a small number of BMD-1s, which used them in Angola. After the withdrawal of Cuban troops from the African continent, several vehicles apparently remained in service with government forces and, judging by photographs, participated in a major battle with UNITA troops near Movinga in 1990. Apparently Iraq also had a small number of BMD-1s in 1991.

After the collapse, a significant number of airborne combat vehicles remained outside of Russia, in some former Soviet republics, on whose territory airborne forces were stationed. As a result, these vehicles were used by warring parties in armed conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh and Transnistria.

By the time of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, the Vienna negotiations on concluding the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) were already in full swing. According to data that Soviet Union presented for its signing, as of November 1990, the USSR had 1632 BMD-1 and 769 BTR-D on this continent. However, by 1997, in the European part of Russia, their numbers amounted to 805 and 465 combat vehicles, respectively. To date, their number has decreased even more - affected combat losses in the North Caucasus and technical wear and tear. Up to 80% of machines have been in operation for 20 years or more, 95% have undergone one or even two major repairs.

No army in the world can still repeat this. Landing of military equipment with the crew inside is a very dangerous and complex process, each stage of which is described in great detail in instructions and special documents. Even experienced paratroopers of the Airborne Forces (Airborne Forces) undergo a special training course, and serious selection is carried out based on medical criteria. The landing crew also personally prepares the combat vehicle, stows the parachute canopies, and checks the functionality of all components and the reliability of the fastenings.

“I think that this can be compared to a flight into space,” admitted the head trainer of the Russian Armed Forces in parachuting, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Ivanov. It was for him in early spring In 2010, I had the opportunity to be responsible for the training of BMD-2 crews and personally parachute from an Il-76 aircraft inside an airborne combat vehicle.

On the eve of Russian Airborne Forces Day, Ivanov, who has already completed more than 8.5 thousand parachute jumps, shared with TASS his memories of that landing, which will forever go down in the glorious history of the “winged infantry”.

Preparing the "Booth"

In February 2010, the commander of the Airborne Forces, Vladimir Shamanov, decided to airdrop equipment along with personnel: three combat vehicles with two people per crew. By that time, almost all of the vehicles in service had already been parachuted (BMD-1 and BMD-3), except for one (BMD-2). The exercises were carried out on the basis of the 76th Pskov Air Assault Division, the 234th regiment of which was equipped with these vehicles.

BMD-2 "Booth"

Soviet/Russian combat tracked amphibious vehicle. Created on the basis of the BMD-1, intended for use in the Airborne Forces and landing by parachute or landing from military transport aircraft such as An-12, An-22 and Il-76.

Entered service in 1985. The baptism of fire took place in military operations in Afghanistan. In subsequent years, it was used in armed conflicts in Russia and abroad. It is in service with Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.

The vehicle is equipped with a 30-mm 2A42 gun, coaxial and forward-facing 7.62-mm PKT machine guns, as well as a 9M111 "Fagot" or 9M113 "Konkurs" anti-tank missile system.

Continuation

At that time, Alexander Ivanov was a senior officer in the airborne training department of the Airborne Forces Command. During those exercises, he was responsible for preparing the landing of crews inside the BMD-2.

“The personnel were selected from part of the regiment. Preparations began,” he says. “The vehicles were equipped with special Kazbek seats.” At that time, the vehicles did not have special brackets, so they called specialists from the Volgograd plant for installation. They installed parachute systems, "and at the same time we trained the crews. At the final stage, I worked with the guys myself: from loading the vehicles to the landing itself."

The preliminary stage lasted one and a half months. All organizational documents were drawn up, personnel were selected, and work was underway to prepare parachute systems. “We use systems for landing personnel of the first category, that is, without use, new ones. The landing device is the PBS-950 system,” the officer clarifies.

And the final stage is two weeks. We conducted testing of personnel, in-depth medical examination, then prepared them directly on the vehicles in Kazbek chairs for operations during the landing. We had replacements - two people were not suitable for medical reasons. Had to replace

Alexander Ivanov

Ivanov admits that if we talk about medical criteria, then any paratrooper is physiologically suitable. “But there is a certain understanding that this is a big responsibility, and of course, for medical reasons, the guys underwent a completely additional medical examination so that there were no injuries or deviations at the time of preparation,” he says. In addition, everyone underwent testing and professional selection.

Well, again, desire. An order is an order, but of all those who were selected, no one refused. We had both a preliminary and a main cast. It was entrusted to those who had already served. A sergeant who was already finishing his service parachuted with me; he was literally two weeks away from demobilization. And it was like an encouragement, I think. To write yourself worthily into the history of the Airborne Forces is an encouragement, and the guys did it with dignity

Alexander Ivanov

chief trainer of the Russian Armed Forces in parachuting, lieutenant colonel

Before the landing, no one signed any additional documents, Ivanov clarifies. “We are military people. There is one document - this is the order of the Airborne Forces commander for this particular event, where all the personnel were listed by name,” says the officer.

Considering that Ivanov was involved in this preparation and holding the entire event, Vladimir Shamanov allowed him to personally participate, for which Ivanov is very grateful to him.

"Boom - and you fall out of the plane"

On March 25, 2010, this historical event occurred. Until this time, military equipment with its crew was landed only in June 2003. Then there were seven military personnel inside the BMD-3 and officers from the Airborne Forces headquarters department also participated. This time three BMD-2s, two officers and four contract soldiers parachuted.

The landing of personnel and the release of equipment at the Kislovo landing site was observed by the commander of the Airborne Forces and 21 military attaches from the USA, Germany, France, Belarus, China, Pakistan, Mongolia, Sweden, Italy and Kazakhstan. In total, 775 military personnel and 14 units of military equipment took part in the landing, three of which had a crew inside.

We parachuted from a height of 600 meters. There were three cars in the Il-76 and a crew of personnel landed behind us. In principle, this was one of the plans of the Airborne Forces commander - to test the capabilities and extent of how quickly a vehicle can be brought into battle if it is parachuted along with personnel. And it all worked out. What Vasily Margelov did in his time completely justifies

Alexander Ivanov

chief trainer of the Russian Armed Forces in parachuting, lieutenant colonel

Ivanov says that the landing itself occurs quickly - no more than one and a half minutes. There are two people in the car - the commander and the driver. “After landing, one starts the car, and at that time, literally in 2 minutes, I reset everything that is not needed from the platform system,” he says. “As soon as the cars move, the shock absorption is unfastened, and they are ready to perform the task.”

And if this is direct contact with the enemy, then the driver can prepare the vehicle, and the gunner-operator or commander can fire. This is very worthwhile, of course, it is a huge risk, but if you need to complete the task 100% with personnel, then the car will go right where it needs to go. Three to five minutes maximum

Alexander Ivanov

chief trainer of the Russian Armed Forces in parachuting, lieutenant colonel

The landing from the Il-76 aircraft took place at a speed of 320–350 km/h. The officer admits that there is no fear, but there is excitement when the car exits. “When 8 tons fall down, you can’t feel it even in free fall; to be honest, there is a little excitement. Well, then the parachutes open, the excitement goes away. Everything is calm,” the paratrooper recalls.

As for the overload, it is small. A little more than a parachute. Because when, during the exit from the plane's ramp, the car stands on its nose at an angle of 45 degrees and sharply begins to fall down... Then it begins to level it, and at that certain moment, of course, you feel a rush of blood to your face. You also feel it when you land. If you compare hitting the ground, it’s about the same if you jump from a height of one and a half meters

Alexander Ivanov

chief trainer of the Russian Armed Forces in parachuting, lieutenant colonel

The jump itself takes place within one and a half minutes. Only nine 350 sq. parachutes open. meters each. There are nine main domes in this system and they open simultaneously. Ivanov says that as soon as he separated, you understand that everything is fine, you turn on the radio station and report that so-and-so has carried out the landing, the crew’s well-being is normal.

“That is, work is going on, and then you evaluate some moments there, communicate with your crew, how they feel. So we were a little turned around there,” the officer recalls. Euphoria sets in, Ivanov admits, when the ramp at the Il-76 plane opens in two minutes and it begins to shake. Then within a minute the doors open - even more shaking.

And you realize that that’s it, there’s only a minute left, there’s no turning back. And then there’s a click, and the exhaust parachute system pulls out, and you’re like on a catapult, you’re booming - first into the horizon, and then you fall out of the plane... Here, I’ll say, there are certain sensations, there are experiences, and then normal work goes on.

Alexander Ivanov

chief trainer of the Russian Armed Forces in parachuting, lieutenant colonel

After landing, Vladimir Shamanov personally met the heroic paratroopers. Each one was given a personalized watch. Taking part in that landing were: airborne headquarters officer Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Ivanov and servicemen of the 234th Regiment of the 76th Air Assault Division, Lieutenant K. Pashkov, senior sergeant V. Kozlov, junior sergeant K. Nikonov, privates A. Borodnikov and I. Tarsuev .

Rarely do such moments occur in the Airborne Forces. Such landings do not occur so often due to the fact that there is only one option - there is no reserve parachute and this is a huge risk. I remember the foreigners were pleasantly surprised. Then the commander gave us the task of bringing one car to the podium, and they looked, were interested in the special chair and could not believe in the reality of this landing

Alexander Ivanov

chief trainer of the Russian Armed Forces in parachuting, lieutenant colonel

"He who controls time wins"

Ivanov says that the main thing in all this is precisely the preparation of landing equipment, equipment and personnel “to carry out the most important task.” Moreover, not only the crews themselves worked, but rather large group airborne service of the 76th division under the leadership of Colonel A. Trushkin. They also helped in installing multi-dome parachute systems and checking equipment. There was also a commission from the military transport aviation (MTA), which checked the loading of vehicles and the installation of systems on the aircraft.

“There is a certain methodology for checking equipment, gaps and how everything is laid out. After checking, everything is sealed and awaits the time of landing,” explains Ivanov. But at the same time, the excitement did not leave the experienced officer, who already had about 7 thousand parachute jumps behind him.

I've been in the sky all my life. And I understand that I have two parachutes and at this level the fear already goes away. We make 10–12 jumps a day, and there is no longer any fear. Here, I will say, I was worried because I understood that there was no way to get out of this iron can. There, two chairs are attached at an angle of 45 degrees and that’s it. The iron lid is 20 centimeters from you. And you don't understand what's happening outside. All we have to do is understand that we did everything right

In July of this year, during airborne exercises near Ryazan, for the first time, a new armored personnel carrier BTR-MDM "Rakushka" was parachuted with its crew inside. “The crew parachuted from a height of 1,800 meters at a speed of 10 m/s inside the BTR-MDM, which weighs 14 tons, for the first time. Thanks to the courage of the testers, we can say that full-fledged combat vehicles have entered service,” said Colonel-General Andrei Serdyukov, commander of the Airborne Forces.

Roman Azanov