The first landing bmd with the crew. No one but them: how the Russian Airborne Forces learned how to parachute military equipment with crews inside. Power plant and transmission

Today, January 5, marks exactly 40 years of the first landing of manpower inside a combat vehicle in the history of mankind. On January 5, 1973, for the first time in the world, the crew of an armored personnel carrier was inside the car during the 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, General of the Army Vasily Margelov, the initiator of the new method of landing "blue berets").

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

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

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

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 military vehicles without the use of parachute platforms, which not only increased the time to bring equipment into combat position after landing, but also reduced the cost of each such landing by tens of thousands of full-weight Soviet rubles (which at that time were quoted at the level of 60-70 kopecks per US dollar).

Crew landing technique 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 for bringing armored personnel carriers to combat readiness, a feature in adverse weather conditions ( strong wind, precipitation, fog, etc.). While the Soviet technique of landing the crew inside the armored personnel carrier made it possible for the "blue berets" to start hostilities 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. To do this, Russian designers have developed a new - safer and more efficient - parachute system, upgraded crew seats (model "Kazbek D"). BMD-2s were ready to perform combat missions within four minutes (!) After touching the ground.

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

New technology will continue the tradition

New airborne combat vehicle BMD-4M, undergoing revision at Kurganmashzavod, is designed for landing with a crew inside. The new machine 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 PKT coaxial machine gun of 7>62 mm caliber, as well as anti-tank guided missile launchers "Arkan" BMD-4M can not only "fly", but also overcome water obstacles without any preparation at speeds up to 10 kilometers per hour (on the highway, an armored personnel carrier develops speed like a car - 70 kilometers per hour) .

In mid-July, a large-scale tactical exercise of the Airborne Troops and Military Transport Aviation took place near Ryazan. The Ryazan sky has not seen so many domes for a long time: over 2.5 thousand military personnel took part in the maneuvers, and several hundred units of military equipment were involved, including 66 aircraft. Dome systems blossomed over 70 platforms with combat vehicles. One of the goals of the exercise was to test promising landing equipment: in particular, as reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense, during special flight tests as part of the Bakhcha-U-PDS development work, two BMD-4M and two BTR-MDM were landed, and in the last two there were crews. Powerful 14-ton vehicles, dropped from a height of almost two kilometers, landed successfully, showing their readiness to immediately engage in battle. About how in Russia they learned to parachute military equipment with crews inside, how complicated this process is and how our designers managed to make armor " flying", and her "flight" is safe, journalist Alexei Yegorov will tell in a new issue, coming out on a festive week for the "blue berets", three days after the Day of the Airborne Forces. From the sky - immediately into battle The idea of ​​dropping equipment by parachute with crews inside belongs personally to the legendary creator of the Airborne Forces, Hero of the Soviet Union, General of the Army Vasily Filippovich Margelov. Previously, cars were dropped separately, personnel - separately. On the landing site, the crews had to look for their cars, and they could sometimes be at an impressive distance. However, for the mass use of such a landing method, much was not enough, including the ejection seat system was not fully thought out. This method presented an impressive risk. And then the commander decided to send his son, senior lieutenant Alexander Margelov. On January 5, 1973, together with an experienced paratrooper, Lieutenant Colonel Leonid Zuev, they jumped inside the BMD-1 on parachute platforms from the An-12 military transport aircraft. Three years later, in January 1976, the BMD-1 made a soft landing, landing on parachute-reactive system in the Reaktavr complex. Inside the car were also two crew members - Alexander Margelov (now a major) and. The landing was carried out at the risk of life, because the paratroopers did not have any individual means of salvation. However, the use of reactive systems made it possible to carry out this jump successfully. The new scheme made it possible to ensure the introduction of airborne divisions into battle not within a day, as before, but within hours and minutes. During the Cold War, this became a serious trump card for our country and its armed forces. In 1996, for the courage and heroism shown in testing, fine-tuning and mastering special equipment, both officers were awarded the title of Hero of Russia.
Naturally, our experiments soon became known abroad. Works on similar subjects started in the USA, France, England. But, as Sergey Khursevich, General Director of the Parachute Research Institute JSC, admits, to this day no one in the world has been conducting such tests.

“This is a very complex technical undertaking, and the Russian school of parachute construction is currently the only one that provides the proper level of reliability of parachute equipment and technologies,” says the head of the research institute.

In recent years, landing systems that allow military equipment with crews inside to be thrown from the sky have undergone tangible changes. According to the leading researcher of the Research Testing Center for Aerospace Medicine and Military Ergonomics of the Central Research Institute of the Air Force of the Ministry of Defense of Russia, Doctor of Medical Sciences Professor Yuri Moiseev, among the adjustments is the rejection of the use of jet engines. Used in braking systems, they could fail. Reactive brakes have replaced inflatable shock absorbers, which provide a much softer landing. A special sensor, displayed on the monitor inside the combat vehicle, allows the crew to control the compression of the filling of the shock-absorbing system. Airplanes first If for paratroopers the key task is to make a jump, then for pilots of military transport aviation the main thing is to raise future paratroopers to the required height. The Commander of the VTA, Lieutenant-General Vladimir Benediktov, at the past large-scale exercises, personally checked the readiness of people and equipment for this task. In total, more than seven dozen aircraft rose into the sky at that time - these are not only airplanes, but also helicopters and drones. The commander's special concern is for the pilots to bring their aircraft to the drop point with an accuracy of seconds, and this is not easy, given that the aircraft take off from the airfields of Ryazan, Ivanovo, Ulyanovsk, and the Tver region.

“The way to control the flight crew is called “walking flight,” General Benediktov notes. - This is when particularly complex and responsible sections, especially in mixed formation, are subject to a raffle. So that each crew understands the role and place in any order, at any time, and is able to respond correctly in the event of any introductory and emergency situations.”

The aviators also control the loading of armored vehicles intended for landing. There are enough difficulties here. For example, the BMD-4M occupies the interior of the IL-76 almost completely: the distance at the narrowest point is only 26 centimeters. Such tiny gaps, as the pilots say, are a real headache. Indeed, in the event of an emergency during a reset, the combat vehicle can come off the rails and jam in the opening. And if a cargo parachute is also released ... Such unpleasant situations have already occurred, fortunately, there were no serious incidents. That is why every little thing is thought through. For example, to exit the BMD-4M from the cargo compartment, special “skis” are provided, which, in turn, roll along the cargo deck on rollers. In this case, the caterpillars do not touch the floor - distortions or derailment from the guides are excluded. Test of characters In the Russian army, the 929th State Flight Test Center named after V.P. Chkalov is, in fact, tasked with testing everything related to the sky, with flights. A department for flight tests of parachute equipment was even created here, and it was its employees, acting officers of the Russian army, who participated in the landing inside combat vehicles at that very exercise near Ryazan. Before the jump, all the equipment was carefully checked again, the equipment was adjusted. In falling from the sky, the weakest link in the human body is the spine. If a person sits, as in a regular chair, when the back is held vertically, then the load on the spine will be maximum. Associate Professor of the Research Institute of Aerospace Medicine and Military Ergonomics of the Central Research Institute of the Air Force of the Ministry of Defense of Russia, Candidate of Medical Sciences Nikolai Olenev notes that the current landing technologies inside equipment are akin to space ones. “Remember how you worked with astronauts: a lodgement was made for each,” he notes. - Shape, shape. They had overloads of up to 12 or more units. Here, in general, there will be an overload, and in a good way, of course, there should be a lodgement.
Everything is provided inside the combat vehicle for a special jump. The testers are fixed with six attachment points: on the toes of the legs, above the knee, the head and hands are also fixed. The innovation of the current test was the use of an updated chair. If in previous cases chairs of the Kazbek type were used, which were suitable only for landing, and when the BMD needed to be brought into combat position, then it was necessary to put ordinary, full-time seats, then the current chairs are unified. From the landing position to the working state, they are transferred very quickly. An important point: in the event of an emergency, the crew of the vehicle is provided to leave the vehicle right in the sky. To do this, each paratrooper carries a PZ-81 reserve parachute. The minimum safe height at which it can be used is 150 meters. Of course, this is an emergency situation. It can occur if, for example, the amortization system sensor mentioned above informs about a failure, and then the car will have to be left by individual landing. In the entire history of the Airborne Forces, no more than 60 people have jumped inside military equipment. In June 2003, seven officers performed such a landing, and in the winter of 2010, six paratroopers landed on three BMD-2s. On the ground, the heroes were personally met by the then commander of the Airborne Forces, Lieutenant General Vladimir Shamanov: he handed each one a nominal watch, and also announced the decision to present military personnel - officers, sergeants and privates - to be awarded the Order of Courage. At the current exercise, not only people, but also new equipment of the Airborne Forces. For example, the BMD-4M is a completely new generation of airborne combat vehicles, a reliable all-terrain vehicle equipped, moreover, with powerful weapons. The gun of this BMD is akin to a tank gun, it has a caliber of 100 millimeters. Moreover, it can shoot not only shells, but also guided missiles. The BTR-MDM "Shell" is also famous for its cross-country ability. "Military acceptance" about this car, arranged for her testing off-road, water, snow. The exam was passed flawlessly.
According to the commander of the Russian Airborne Forces, Colonel-General Andrey Serdyukov, the ostentatious tactical exercise with a practical airborne landing turned out to be the largest in recent times in terms of scope and was successful. One of the goals of the maneuvers, according to the general, was to test advanced landing equipment for modern models of equipment supplied to the Airborne Forces. “The testers coped with the task, their courage is admirable!” - stressed Andrey Serdyukov after the completion of the exercise. The headquarters of the Airborne Forces also believe that the successful demonstration of the landing of the BTR-MDM with testers inside the vehicle allows us to say that full-fledged military equipment capable of performing the widest range of tasks in the interests of the "winged infantry" is coming into service with the troops.

Landing of BMD-2 with personnel at the exercises of the 76th Guards Airborne Assault Division of the Airborne Forces, 2010 © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation / TASS

Not a single army in the world has yet been able to repeat this. Landing military equipment with a crew inside is a very dangerous and complex process, each of its stages is described in great detail in instructions and special documents. Even experienced paratroopers of the Airborne Forces (VDV) undergo a special training course, a serious selection is carried out for medical reasons. The landing crew also personally prepares the combat vehicle, stacks the parachute canopies, checks the performance of all components and the reliability of the fasteners.

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

BMD is an abbreviation for the phrase "airborne combat vehicle". Based on the name, BMD is a vehicle for moving a unit. Its main purpose is to fight enemy armored vehicles and enemy infantry. In professional military circles, this machine was called the "Booth".

To fulfill its combat mission, the BMD can be transported by military aircraft to the landing site. Landing can be carried out from Mi-26 aircraft and helicopters using an external sling.

How did the BMD-2 airborne combat vehicle appear?

The designers developed the first generation of BMD back in 1969, and after testing it was delivered to the Soviet Union. The serial assembly of the combat vehicle was carried out in the early years; it was produced in a limited edition. To start mass production, the forces of the All-Russian Research Institute of Steel, the Institute of Welding named after. E. Paton.

In 1980, Soviet designers, having studied the experience of using BMD in real battles, moved on to improve the existing model. The need to modernize the amphibious assault vehicle became apparent after Afghanistan, where the armored vehicle was actively used. Having proven itself well in battle on flat areas, the first generation airborne combat vehicle lost in highland areas.

The BMD-2 airborne combat vehicle entered service in the Soviet Union in 1985. The second-generation machine did not differ much in appearance from the BMD-1. The comparative photo of the BMD-2 and BMD-1 shows that the changes affected the turret and armament. The hull and engine remained unchanged. The armored car passed its baptism of fire in combat operations in the Republic of Afghanistan.

In subsequent years, the BMD-2 was used in armed conflicts in Russia and abroad. Today, the "booth" is in service with the armies of Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.

Structural features of the BMD-2

The design of the amphibious assault vehicle is considered unique. In front of the center is the driver-mechanic, behind him is the commander on the right, and the shooter on the left. In the back there is a compartment for the landing. It can accommodate 5 paratroopers.

The body of the BMD-2 is conventionally divided into 4 compartments:

• department of management;
• warhead;
• troop compartment;
• engine-transmission compartment.

The combat unit and the control compartment are combined and are located in the front and middle parts of the armored vehicle. The rear half is divided into troop and engine compartments.

The armored hull is welded from aluminum sheets that cover the crew of the BMD-2. The characteristics of this metal allow you to achieve effective protection with a small weight. Armor capable of protecting the crew from bullets, small fragments of mines and shells. The thickness of the body skin in the front is 15 mm, on the sides - 10 mm. The turret has 7 mm thick armor. The bottom of the BMD is reinforced with stiffeners, which allows for successful airborne landing. The minimum landing height is 500 meters, the maximum height is 1500 meters. In this case, multi-dome parachutes with a reactive system PRSM 916 (925) are used.

After the modernization, the PM-2 received a new circular tower. It has a smaller size. In addition, she got the opportunity to fire at helicopters and low-flying aircraft. The vertical pointing angle was increased to 75 degrees.

The body of the BMD-2 is sealed. This turned the "booth" into a floating armored vehicle. To move through a water barrier, a water jet installation is used, the operation of which is based on the principle of jet propulsion. Before starting to move through a water obstacle, it is necessary to raise the wave protection shield in front. Due to the properties of the amphibious vehicle, landing can be carried out from transport ships.

Engine and Chassis

When creating the BMD-2, engineers did not carry out a complete modernization of the engine and chassis. The amphibious assault vehicle is equipped with a 5D20 engine. This is a 6 cylinder diesel engine. It is capable of developing a power of 240 horses.

BMD-2 uses caterpillar tracks. Each side has 5 track rollers and 4 rollers. The drive axle is rear, the steering wheels are in front. The chassis has a design that allows you to adjust the clearance. The minimum ground clearance is 10 cm and the maximum is 45 cm. The suspension is independent.

BMD 2. Characteristics of weapons

The modernization of the airborne combat vehicle in the 80s mainly affected the turret and weapons. The military experience in Afghanistan forced us to revise the fire arsenal.

30 mm caliber is used as the main firepower. She is able to shoot on the move. The barrel is stabilized in two planes with the help of a weapon stabilizer 2E36-1 on electro-hydraulics. In the roof of the tower is the main sight VPK-1-42, pointing the gun. The "booth" is capable of firing at a distance of up to 4 kilometers.

Paired with a gun in the turret is a caliber of 7.62 mm. The combat set of the second generation PM is 300 rounds for the cannon and 2000 rounds for the machine gun.

Additional weapons for the BMD-2 can be used to enhance firepower. The instruction manual defines the composition of additional weapons:

• one 9M113 "Competition";
• two ATGM 9M111 "Bassoon";
• launcher 9P135M.

Rocket launchers are capable of aiming within 54 degrees horizontally and from -5 to +10 vertically.

To conduct a successful battle with air targets, the Igla and Strela-2 missile systems were introduced into the armament.

Equipment of the amphibious assault vehicle

The BMD-2 is equipped with a R-174 communication device, a R-123 radio station (later it was replaced by the R-123M).

In addition, on board the armored vehicle is:

• automatic fire extinguishing complex;
• system for filtering and extracting air;
• system of protection against means of mass destruction and atomic weapons;
• protection system against;
• night-vision devices;
• air ventilation system inside the body of the combat vehicle.

Specifications "Booths"

During the battle, the "booth" is able to overcome various obstacles. Without difficulty, the BMD-2 airborne combat vehicle can drive onto a wall 80 centimeters high and overcome a trench 1.6 meters wide.

BMD-2 modifications

In the landing troops, two modifications of the combat landing vehicle are used:

• BMD-2K - commander's version of the vehicle, additionally equipped with a R-173 radio station, an AB-0.5-3-P / 30 gasoline electric power generator and a GPK-59 gyroscopic semi-compass;
• BMD-2M - in addition to standard weapons, it has a dual Kornet ATGM installation, in addition, a weapon control system is installed with the ability to aim at a target using a thermal imager.

The airborne troops have always been the elite - first in the Soviet, and then in the Russian army. They differ from ordinary ground units not only in their increased level of combat training, but also in their special equipment, part of which, starting from the 60s of the last century, was airborne combat vehicles. The most modern example of this light armored vehicle is the BMD 4M. Their mass production has been ongoing since 2015, however, the "biography" of the new combat vehicles began much earlier and was rather difficult.

The history of the development of the airborne combat vehicle BMD-4M

In the 80s of the last century, a generational change of light armored vehicles took place in the Soviet army: motorized rifle troops received BMP-2, and airborne troops received BMD-2. These machines differed from each other in layout and total weight, but were unified in terms of armament, the main element of which was the 2A42 automatic thirty-millimeter gun.

Apparently, both military customers and designers of armored vehicles planned to continue to ensure the "fire parity" of conventional infantry and paratroopers. Meanwhile, back in 1977, work began on the creation of the BMP-3, the armament of which was radically strengthened by the new 2A70 gun with a caliber of 100 mm. An attempt to install the same gun on the BMD threatened to unacceptably increase its mass.

Despite these concerns, already in the design of the future BMD-3, the possibility of using the same types of weapons on it as on the BMP-3 was studied. Calculations showed that the weight of such a machine would exceed 18 tons. This meant that the main Il-76 military transport aircraft would be able to take on board only two BMDs, which did not suit the command of the airborne troops.

As a result, the BMD-3 remained with the same 2A42 gun as the BMD-2, differing from the latest weapon control system and somewhat reinforced armor. As a "half-measure" to increase the level of armament, the new car was equipped with an automatic grenade launcher. In 1990, the BMD 3 was put into service, however, the entire volume of its subsequent serial production amounted to only 137 units.

As a result, by the beginning of the twenty-first century, the Russian Airborne Forces came with obsolete BMD-1 and BMD-2. Both of these vehicles could no longer provide full-fledged fire support on the battlefield. Anticipating such a situation, the designers of the Volgograd Tractor Plant back in 1997 decided to return to the old idea and try to modernize the BMD-3 by installing the Bakhcha-U fighting compartment on it, like on the BMP 3.

On the last day of 2004, the updated airborne combat vehicle was named BMD-4. A few months later, the first samples entered the airborne troops. It should be noted that even during the development period, the designers managed to achieve some softening of the requirements for the weight of the machine from the customers. At first, the military wanted the mass of the BMD-4 to be the same as that of the BMD-3, but after long and painful negotiations, the parties agreed on a limit of 13,200 kilograms. Other technical characteristics of customers received on BMD 4 were quite satisfactory.

In reality, the weight was 13.6 tons, which immediately caused a lot of complaints, although it was already clear that it was physically impossible to install a hundred-millimeter cannon with ammunition and not make the car heavier.

In an effort to reduce weight, the designers removed the automatic grenade launcher from the BMD and slightly reduced the ammunition load of the thirty-millimeter gun, but they failed to achieve full “compensation”.

Despite a number of positive reviews, the Ministry of Defense was in no hurry with orders for the BMD-4. The reasons for this were revealed a little later, but this did not help the Volgograd Tractor Plant - in 2005 the enterprise went bankrupt and was actually abolished. Since the airborne troops still needed to upgrade their fleet of armored vehicles, the BMD-4 project was transferred to Kurganmashzavod, the manufacturer of the BMP-3.

Already in 2008, a converted version of the airborne combat vehicle was demonstrated, which received the designation BMD-4M. The designers of Kurganmashzavod significantly changed the geometry of the armored hull, bringing it closer to the BMP-3, and installed a more powerful engine, which made it possible to slightly increase speed and maneuverability. At the same time, the set of weapons remained the same. It seemed that the project had finally moved off the ground, however, it was then that the contradictions that had remained “under the carpet” among the military leadership surfaced.

In April 2010 V.A. Popovkin, Russia's first deputy defense minister, said on behalf of the agency that no purchases of BMD-4Ms are planned. The new car immediately began to be fiercely criticized - this time quite publicly. Particular outrage was expressed regarding the low level of crew protection and the high purchase price (about 10% more than that of the T-90A tank). It came to statements about the need to purchase foreign military equipment for the Airborne Forces.

In 2012, the BMD-4M once again “buried” N.E. Makarov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, who along the way also cursed the BMP-3. Meanwhile, the new car also had supporters. At the same time, it was not difficult to notice that generals from the "ordinary" ground forces opposed the BMD-4M, while representatives of the Airborne Forces were their opponents. The most authoritative "defender" of the new machine was V.A. Shamanov.

It should be taken into account that from 2007 to 2012 the Ministry of Defense was headed by A.E. Serdyukov, who treated the airborne troops with frank hostility, since they clearly "did not fit" into the reform he was carrying out. For some time there was even a question of the complete abolition of the Airborne Forces. Of course, the paratroopers could not come to terms with such an attitude, which led to a long and senseless "war", one of the victims of which could well be the BMD-4M.

Only in 2016, it was decided to adopt a new airborne combat vehicle. The volume of serial production of BMD-4M amounted to over 180 units, production continues. Moreover, it is planned to manufacture new types of amphibious armored vehicles on the chassis of this vehicle. It is difficult to say whether these plans will come true, because the financial situation of Kurganmashzavod is rather difficult - for many years the enterprise has literally been balancing on the very edge of the abyss, and there is simply no other manufacturer in Russia now.

Goals and objectives

The airborne combat vehicle BMD-4M was created to solve the following main tasks:

1. Transportation of airborne troops in the near and operational rear;
2. Destruction of firing points, armored vehicles, fortifications and manpower of the enemy;
3. Ensuring the protection of airborne troops on the battlefield from small arms fire and fragments of the most common types of shells and mines.

The main quality that distinguishes the BMD from a conventional infantry fighting vehicle is that it can be parachuted and landed, and together with the crew.

Design Description

In terms of its internal structure, the BMD-4M is in many ways similar to the earlier tracked vehicles for the Airborne Forces, primarily the BMD-3, however, the Kurganmashzavod engineers made a number of changes to the design aimed at achieving the maximum level of unification with the BMP-3. This approach greatly simplifies serial production, repair and maintenance.

Hull and tower

The layout of the BMD-4M is the same as that of other Soviet / Russian airborne combat vehicles. In front of the case is the control compartment. It provides space for two paratroopers and a driver (in the center). The middle part of the vehicle is the fighting compartment. Directly above it is a rotating tower. Here, along with the main weapons systems, the commander and gunner are located.

The tower, unlike the aluminum hull, is made of steel armor. It is part of a single combat module "Bakhcha-U", which is also installed on other types of Russian light armored vehicles. You can rotate the tower in a horizontal plane by 360 degrees.

Fire control system (FCS)

A set of equipment designed for accurate fire on various targets includes the following main elements:

1. Commander's sight. With the help of this device, the commander can independently shoot at various targets from cannons and machine guns, or give target designation to the gunner. Rangefinder, day and night channels are used;
2. Gunner's sight. Unlike the commander, this member of the BMD-4M crew can use anti-tank guided missiles, for which there is a separate information channel in his sight. If necessary, you can use a twelve-fold optical zoom. In addition, there is a thermal imager associated with the sight;
3. Weapon stabilizer. Alignment is performed in two planes;
4. A device for automatic tracking of targets, integrated with sights;
5. ballistic computer.

In addition, the commander and gunner have monitors and control panels. All these devices work in close cooperation, which is achieved through the use of a single information system, supplemented by sensors to obtain external data about the environment.

The characteristics of the onboard fire control system ensure accurate engagement of targets both from a place and in motion, including afloat. It is also possible to carry out mounted firing with high-explosive fragmentation shells from closed positions.

Power plant and transmission

The BMD-4M is equipped with a multi-fuel diesel engine UTD-29 with liquid cooling, the same as on the BMP-3. This ten-cylinder engine reaches its maximum power of 500 horsepower at a main shaft speed of 2600 rpm. The highest torque is 1460 Nm. The engine has a dead weight of 910 kilograms. He is able to work in high altitude conditions, retaining all his performance characteristics even at an altitude of 4500 meters.

The transmission of the airborne combat vehicle is also unified with the BMP-3 and is assembled in one unit with the engine. Gearbox - automatic, four-speed, with a hydrodynamic transformer. When reversing, the car is capable of reaching a speed of 20 km / h.

Chassis

Representatives of Kurganmashzavod have repeatedly stated that they managed to achieve the unification of the BMD-4M with the BMP-3 and the chassis, but if this happened, then the changes, apparently, affected mainly structural details hidden from view. Outwardly, on the BMD 4M, the previous five road wheels are clearly visible on each side of the vehicle. Nothing new is noticed in the design of the tracks.

The airborne combat vehicle BMD-4M is equipped with a hydropneumatic suspension that allows you to change the ground clearance from 190 to 590 mm by raising and lowering the hull.

Armament

The composition of the universal combat module "Bakhcha-U", installed on the BMD-4M, includes the following types of weapons:

1. Gun 2A70 with automatic loader. Caliber - 100 mm, effective range - up to 7 km, shot weight - from 15.8 to 18.2 kg, rate of fire - up to 10 rounds per minute;
2. Automatic gun 2A72. Caliber - 30 mm, effective range - up to 4 km (in terms of manpower). Food - selective, high-explosive fragmentation or armor-piercing cartridges 30x165 mm;
3. PKTM machine gun. Caliber - 7.62 mm, effective range - up to 1.5 km;
4. Anti-tank guided missiles "Arkan" 9M117M3. Launched through the barrel of the main gun. Sighting range - up to 5.5 km, armor penetration - 750 mm (average). Warhead - tandem.

The ammunition load of the main gun includes 34 shots, of which 4 are Arkan ATGMs, and 30 conventional shots are placed in the carousel of the automatic loader.

The ammunition load of the 2A72 gun consists of 350 rounds. If landing is necessary, their number should be reduced to 254 to reduce weight. Compared to the 2A42 gun, which was installed on the BMD-2, the new gun has a much lower recoil, but this advantage is obtained by reducing the rate of fire, which calls into question the effectiveness of hitting air targets. However, for the BMD 4M, the characteristics of "anti-aircraft fire" are not so important.

The PKTM machine gun is equipped with two thousand rounds of ammunition.

In addition, on the sides of the tower there are six mortars for launching 3D6M smoke grenades.

Tactical and technical characteristics

The main parameters are given both for the BMD-4M and for the original version of the combat vehicle.

	BMD-4M	BMD-4
Weight	13 500 kg	13 600 kg
Body length	6.1 m	6.1 m
Width	3.11 m	3.114 m
Height	2.45 m	2.4 m
Clearance	19-59 cm	19-59 cm
Max speed	70 km/h	67.5 km/h
Water speed	10 km/h	10 km/h
Power reserve	500 km	500 km
Engine power	500 HP	450 HP
Capacity	Crew - 3 people, landing - 5 people	Crew -3 people, landing - 5 people.

Thanks to the replacement of the engine, the airborne combat vehicle BMD 4M has a higher power density - 37 horsepower per ton (the BMD-4 had 33 hp per ton).

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantage that the BMD-4M has over all earlier models of airborne combat vehicles is its very powerful armament, which allows it to hit any targets at considerable distances.

This sample of light armored vehicles has other advantages:

1. The high level of compatibility with the BMP-3 provides increased maintainability, ease of operation and maintenance, and also improves the supply of components;
2. Excellent cross-country ability on any off-road;
3. The BMD-4M is distinguished by excellent handling, confidently passing through sharp turns and overcoming steep slopes. The car no longer sways, "entering into resonance", as happened with the BMD-1 and BMD-2;
4. It is possible to enhance security with a set of patch armor. True, when landing, its use is impossible;
5. The BMD-4M has a certain reserve of modernization - many other types of military equipment can be made on its basis.

The disadvantages of the new machine are largely traditional for this entire class of weapons:

1. Weak armor protection of the crew. BMD-4M is relatively easily hit by small-caliber automatic guns, and the sides are also vulnerable to heavy machine guns;
2. The ammunition of the main gun is located in the middle of the vehicle and has no additional means of protection. Thus, with the detonation of 100-mm shells, the entire crew is guaranteed to die;
3. Mine protection is not enhanced in any way compared to earlier models;
4. Inside the BMD-4M it is very crowded, especially if the fighters are in full combat gear.

In addition, the layout of the machine itself causes criticism. The opinion was repeatedly expressed that the engine compartment should be placed in front, which would be additional protection for the crew. That's just such a solution is incompatible with landing due to the transfer of the center of gravity.

BMD-4M modifications

So far, there are only two variants of the BMD-4M - the base model and the "commander" BMD-4K upgraded to its level, which received the designation BMD-4KM.

In the near future, a whole family of new modifications should appear:

1. Self-propelled anti-tank gun 2S25M "Octopus-SDM1". The prototypes of this machine are the fighting compartment of the already existing Sprut-SD airborne self-propelled gun, rearranged on a modified and extended BMD-4M chassis;
2. Self-propelled gun for the Airborne Forces 2S42 "Lotos". The chassis is the same as that of the Sprut-SDM1, the armament is a long-barreled universal gun with a caliber of 120 mm. This machine should replace the well-known "None-S";
3. "Cornet-D1", index 9P162M. Installation for anti-tank guided missiles "Kornet" on the BMD-4M chassis;
4. "Birdman". Short-range anti-aircraft missile system for airborne troops. There is little information about him, but it is known that he will also be produced on the basis of the BMD-4M.

In addition, there were reports in the press about the use of the BMD-4M to create a repair and recovery tractor and a reconnaissance vehicle.

All this new technology is likely to appear in the next decade.

If you have any questions - leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them.