bmd manual. Bmd - airborne combat vehicles. Equipment of the amphibious assault vehicle

BMD-1

Airborne combat vehicle

BMD-1 became the world's first amphibious assault vehicle thrown from an aircraft along with the crew. With our paratroopers BMD-1 passed through Afghanistan, and Chechnya, and South Ossetia. In the last conflict, the crew of one BMD-1 defeated the Georgian military column .

And the story began BMD-1 in those glorious times when our country was a great and powerful power that controlled almost half of the world. The then famous Uncle Vasya, Vasily Filippovich, commanded the Soviet airborne troops. Margelov. He tirelessly fought for the transformation of the Airborne Forces from light infantry into a full-fledged branch of the military, and constantly demanded new special airborne equipment from the state.
« In order to fulfill their role in modern operations, it is necessary that our formations and units are highly maneuverable, covered with armor, have sufficient fire efficiency, are well controlled, are able to land at any time of the day and quickly switch to active combat operations after landing." said the general Margelov. Exactly Margelov and created the concept bmd- airborne combat vehicle. He personally spoke with the heads of various design bureaus of the country, conducting work on tank topics, convincing them to take up the airborne combat vehicle.
According to the tactical and technical task bmd in terms of armament, maneuverability, armor protection of the frontal projection and the range of installed equipment, it was supposed to correspond to that developed at that time BMP-1, but the dimensions and combat weight were strictly limited by the conditions for the placement and free extraction of the machine by parachute through the cargo hatch of the An-12 production aircraft. The available landing systems made it possible to land cargo weighing no more than 10 tons; two tons were assigned to the means of landing, and another half a ton - to the mass reserve.
In those days, the contractor was not determined by the size of the rollback and not even by the cheapness of the proposed project. Of the three projects presented by different factories, the Volgograd tank project turned out to be the best. In many ways, it resembled the future BMP-1, but its engine - a six-cylinder V-shaped diesel UGD-20A - was located at the rear, and the crew and troops fell into bmd through a hatch located behind the turret in the roof of the hull. A more powerful and less fire hazardous engine favorably distinguished the Volgograd project from the other two, which used a 140-horsepower gasoline engine from the BRDM, but, nevertheless, the diesel engine had to be derated from 300 to 240 hp in order to reduce the consumption of fuel and lubricants that were delivered to the paratroopers by air. In this version, the engine received the index 5D20.

Despite the deforation, the engine provided a specific power of 35.7 hp / t. At that time, none of the combat vehicles that were then in service had such a specific power.

The cooling was ejection, and, therefore, did not eat up that

part of the engine power that the fan must consume. The exhaust gases of the engine were not directed upwards, as in other machines with ejection systems, but down aft, on the tracks, which prevented exhaust gases from entering the crew area in case of unfavorable wind direction. This arrangement of the ejectors and the direction of the exhaust gases provided good noise absorption and thermal masking.

Engine start on BMD-1 early releases are made using the main electric starter or a backup air intake system. With the introduction of the engine-driven compressor in 1973, the air intake system became the mainstream. To facilitate starting at low temperatures, the engine was equipped with an electric injector heater included in the cooling system..
The capacity of the fuel tanks was 295 liters, and the cruising range on the highway reached 500 km.
The undercarriage consisted of an air suspension and a caterpillar mover with electro-hydraulic track tensioning mechanisms and aft drive wheels. Pneumatic suspension provided a change in ground clearance from 100 to 450 mm. Movement afloat was carried out by two water cannons located in the MTO between the engine and the sides of the hull.
The combat weight of the vehicle was 6.72 tons, the landing weight was 5.95 tons.
The armament of the BMD included a 73 mm 2A28 Grom smoothbore gun, a Malyutka ATGM launcher, one coaxial and two course 7.62 mm PKT machine guns. For firing from a twin weapon mount, a combined, non-illuminated (day and night) sight TPN-22 "Shield" was used. The loading mechanism and the BMD and BMP sighting system were unified. The ammunition load consisted of 35 active-rocket rounds for the gun (subsequently, on a production vehicle, the ammunition load for the gun included 40 active-rocket shots - the full capacity of the loading mechanism), three guided missiles 9M14 ATGM "Malyutka" and 3000 cartridges for PKT machine guns.

In addition, 10 F-1 hand grenades and a flare pistol with 10 signal cartridges were placed in the car.
armored corps BMD-1 It is a rigid box-shaped structure of complex shape, assembled by welding from rolled sheets of ABT-101 aluminum armor with a thickness of 10, 12, 15, 20, 23 and 32 mm. The frontal part of the hull consists of two bent gable sheets: the upper one, 15 mm thick, located at an inclination of 75 ° to the vertical and the lower one, 32 mm thick, located at an inclination of 47 °. In cross section, the hull has a T-shape with developed fender niches along the entire length, tapering in width in the bow. The hull sides are vertical and assembled from 23 mm top sheets, 20 mm bottom sheets and sloping fenders. Above the engine compartment in the hull, a passage is formed in the middle part, as a result of which the feed consists of three sheets: aft sheets of fenders having a thickness of 15 mm and a slope of 38 ° and a lower 20 mm sheet having a slope of 9 °.

The hull roof has a thickness of 12 mm above the middle compartment and 10 mm above the engine compartment. The bottom of the hull has a thickness of 10 mm and a slope of 70 ° in the frontal tip and 12 mm in the rest. Since the bottom has a relatively small thickness, its rigidity is additionally increased by three longitudinal stampings and a longitudinal beam. The forehead of the hull and turret provided protection for the crew, troops and internal equipment from 14.5 mm armor-piercing bullets, the side from 7.62 mm bullets.

The first three experimental cars were tested by running from the factory to the working village of Erzovka (Volgograd region), at the factory test site - along a pound road, sand and mud, and also afloat - in a deep ravine with water. During the test, a "shortage" of the combat mass of the vehicle was manifested, which did not allow for a long-term stable movement and rolling of the vehicle. According to the results, they chose the option with a four-speed gearbox, dual-slope rubber-coated rollers and a caterpillar with one ridge were installed in the undercarriage.
Comprehensive testing of BMD began in 1967 at the NIIIBTT test site in Kubinka near Moscow. Due to the high specific power of the engine, low specific pressure on the ground and the successful design of the undercarriage, BMD-1 possessed exceptionally high cross-country ability on rough terrain. The relatively small ratio of the length of the bearing surface to the track width contributed to good agility. In addition, relatively little effort on the levers was required to control the driver. The car confidently overcame a rise of 32 °, a vertical wall 0.7 m high and a ditch 2 m wide.

BMD-1 turned out to be surprisingly maneuverable - its turning radius is equal to its width, which is 2380 mm. Considering that its length is only 5400 mm, BMD-1 was placed in a 20-foot container and could be secretly transported around the country without attracting the attention of enemy reconnaissance satellites.

The use of air suspension significantly increased the accuracy of shooting immediately. Therefore, in comparative tests with the BMP-1, the firing accuracy immediately BMD-1 turned out to be much higher - despite the fact that due to the lack of a loading mechanism on it, the gunner-operator was forced to constantly break away from the sight to load the gun.
Thanks to the use of water cannons and pulling the road wheels to the hull afloat, the new car felt much more confident than the “infantry” counterpart. The speed of movement afloat was 10.5 km / h, while there was no noticeable sagging of the lower branch of the caterpillar. The change in clearance helped to simplify the process of entering the car into and out of the water - in the last car, the presence of jet propulsion also helped noticeably.
According to the test results, the BMD was adopted under the designation BMD-1 Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR of April 14, 1969.
Mass production BMD-1 deployed at the Volgograd Tractor Plant, and on January 5, 1973, at the Slobodka airborne parachute track near Tula, for the first time in world practice, a landing was made BMD-1 on parachute-platform facilities in the Centaur complex with two crew members on board. The crew commander was the son of Vasily Filippovich, Senior Lieutenant Alexander Vasilievich Margelov, and the driver was Lieutenant Colonel Leonid Gavrilovich Zuev.
In 1971, the commander's version was adopted under the designation BMD-1 K, which differs from the base vehicle in additional communication equipment, a gasoline charger to ensure its operation when the engine is turned off, removable tables for the commander and radio operator, reduced machine gun ammunition and a permanent crew of six people.

BMD-1P with parachute system PBS-15
In 1978, a modernized modification was adopted. bmd, which received in the linear and commander versions of the designations, respectively, BMD-1 P.
The main change introduced to BMD-1 P, was the installation of a new anti-tank missile system 9K111, designed to destroy not only armored vehicles and pillboxes, but also hovering helicopters. This led to a reduction in machine gun ammunition by 300 rounds. In addition, on BMD-1 P began to install a gyroscopic semi-compass GPK-59, a heater heater and a fan of the middle compartment.

On the base BMD-1 a unique self-propelled unit with a cannon-howitzer-mortar was created . Production BMD-1 P was carried out from 1979 to 1986. Currently, the Russian Airborne Forces have preserved more than 700 BMD-1.

BMD-1 in South Ossetia

See

The development of a new combat vehicle - "object 915" - began in 1965 at the Design Bureau of the Volgograd Tractor Plant (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 land-based BMP-1 developed at that time. The original plan involved the creation of a conventional landing unit, which consisted of the machine itself, the MKS-5-128R multi-dome parachute system and the P-7 serial landing platform. The platform was designed to roll the block into the aircraft, ensured its exit from the aircraft using a pilot chute and cushioned the landing. However, the required landing weight, which was determined by the carrying capacity of the An-12 aircraft for a given number of simultaneously loaded combat vehicles, did not allow creating a vehicle with an own weight corresponding to the TTZ. In order to eventually meet the mass limit, the idea was proposed to use a hydropneumatic suspension with variable ground clearance on the machine. This suggested the possibility of implementing the following scheme: a block (car with a parachute system) independently enters the aircraft, then lowers to the bottom and moored for the duration of the flight; when ejected, the block on the bottom moves along the roller table of the cargo deck of the aircraft and leaves the side. In addition, it was assumed that during the flight to the ground, the road wheels of the machine 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 after landing to an unpredictable bouncing of the car and to its possible overturning. In this case, the machine inevitably had to get tangled in the lines of the parachute system. This problem was solved with the help of special disposable shock-absorbing skis, but the track rollers had to be fixed for the time of landing in a special upper position “D”, up to the unmooring operation, which was already carried out on the ground.

In 1969, the airborne combat vehicle "object 915" was adopted by the airborne troops of the Soviet Army under the designation BMD-1. Since 1968, it has been mass-produced at VgTZ.

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

1 - flaps of wave-reflective shield loops; 2 - hatch of the commander of the machine; 3 - clip for the surveillance device; 4 - hole for the device TNPP-220; 5 - machine gunner's hatch; 6 - aft hatch cover; 7 - hole for installing the valves of the supercharger of the collective protection system; 8 - hole for the MK-4s device; 9 - removable cover-pipe of the engine air intake; 10 and 27 - hatches for access to the fuel fillers of the 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 pipe; 18 - hole for installing a jet damper cup; 19 - towing device; 20 - feed sheet; 21 - bracket for installing a removable ski bracket; 22 - overlay (shock fist); 23 - a hatch for a ball mount for an AKMS assault rifle; 25 - hole for the glass of the antenna input; 26 - hatch for access to the filler neck of the oil tank; 28 - hatch for access to the filler neck of the cooling system; 29 - flaps of loops for parachute systems; 30 - hole for the exhaust fan valve; 31 - hole for installing the VZU equipment PRHR

The BMD-1 has a layout scheme 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 stern. The hull is welded from relatively thin armor plates - for the first time in the practice of Soviet engineering, aluminum armor was used. This made it possible to significantly lighten the car, but at the expense of security. The armor could protect the crew only from small arms fire of 7.62 mm caliber and shell fragments. The upper front plate is very strongly inclined to the vertical - by 78 °, the angle of inclination of the lower one is much smaller and amounts to 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-reflecting shield, which lies on the front frontal plate when driving on land, serves as additional protection. The hull tapers in the bow, its cross section has a T-shape with developed fender niches. The tower 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 front of the body along the axis of the machine is the workplace of the driver. To enter and exit the car, it has an individual hatch, the cover of which rises and moves to the right. In the process of driving a car, the driver can observe the terrain in the 60 ° sector using three TNPO-170 prism observation devices. For observation during the movement of the BMD afloat, instead of the average 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 TVNE-4 night non-illuminated binocular observation device is installed. To the left of the driver is the place of the BMD commander, who gets into the car and exits it also through his hatch. The commander has a periscopic heated observation device - the TNPP-220 sight, in which the sight branch has a 1.5-fold increase and a field of view angle of 10 °, and the observation device branch has vertical viewing angles of 21 °, 87 ° along the horizon. The same TNPP-220 device is installed at the machine gunner sitting to the right of the driver. At night, the commander uses the TVNE-4 device. Paratrooper gunners stationed behind the fighting compartment at the aft MTO partition use two TNPO-170 heated prism devices and an MK-4S periscope device (in the aft hatch).

1 - bracket for connecting the pilot chute lock; 2 - bracket for mounting depreciation skis; 3 - pad for fastening the PRS probe; 4 - emphasis for depreciation skis; 5 - hole for the release of gases from the heater boiler; 6 - hatch for draining oil from the tank; 7 - protective grille of the water cannon; 8 - brackets for fastening the probe of the PRS; 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 mounting depreciation skis; 12 - rear towing hook; 13 - hatch for draining oil from the engine; 14 - hatch for draining fuel from tanks; 15 - hole for draining the coolant; 16 - hatch for access to the tension mechanism of the mechanized ammo box conveyor

In the middle part of the hull there is a fighting compartment with a single-seat turret borrowed from the BMP-1, inside of which there is a gunner's seat. It serves a semi-automatic smoothbore gun 2A28 "Grom" caliber 73 mm with concentrically located recoil devices and a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun coaxial with it. The gun has a wedge gate and a sector lifting mechanism. The height of the firing line is from 1245 to 1595 mm, depending on the set clearance. The range of a direct shot at a target with a height of 2 m is 765 m. The maximum aiming range is 1300 m. Ammunition for the gun - 40 rounds of PG-15V with cumulative anti-tank grenades is in a mechanized (conveyor) stowage, located around the circumference of the tower 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 transporter delivered the projectile chosen by the gunner to the loading point, after which the gunner had to manually transfer it and insert it into the breech. The simultaneous solution of such tasks as searching for targets, aiming a gun, loading it and firing, for one person is a rather difficult problem, so the gunner's psychophysical data noticeably worsened depending on the duration of the hostilities and the number of shots fired. The armament of the tower was supplemented by a launcher of anti-tank guided missiles - ATGMs (according to the then terminology: rockets - ATGMs) 9M14M "Baby", which is accessed through a special hatch in the roof. The rocket is controlled by wires of a single-channel system, in which the control forces in the pitch and heading planes are created by one executive body. Separation of control over two mutually perpendicular planes occurs due to the forced rotation of the rocket in flight with a frequency of 8.5 rpm. In total, three ATGMs are placed in the vehicle (two in the turret and one in the hull) and 2000 rounds for the coaxial machine gun. The latter are equipped with tapes, which fit into two magazines of 1000 rounds each, placed in a cartridge case. After installing the stores in place, the tapes are interconnected by a cartridge.

1 - commander's hatch cover; 2 - stopper; 3 and 16 - screens; 4 - driver's hatch cover; 5 - machine gunner's hatch cover; 6 - belt handle; 7 and 15 - leaf hinges; 8 - hole for the 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 on the BMP-1, the armament of the tower is not stabilized. Guidance in the horizontal and vertical planes is carried out using electric drives. In the event of their failure, the gunner can use a manual drive.

To monitor the terrain and fire, the gunner has at his disposal a combined (day and non-illuminated night) monocular periscope sight 1PN22M1.

1 - 73 mm smoothbore gun; 2 - driver's seat; 3 - battery; 4 - switchboard; 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 installation for firing from machine guns; 11 - relay-regulator; 12 - manual pump of the hydraulic system; 13 - fan blowing the generator; 14 - hydraulic pump drive clutch; 15 - removable cover-pipe of the engine air intake; 16 - filling neck of the right lower fuel tank; 17.28 - fuel tanks; 18 - reservoir of the hydraulic system; 19 - water radiator; 20 - protective cover over the outlet valve of the bilge pump; 21 - bilge pump; 22 - rear position lamp; 23 - protective grille with mesh; 24 - water pipe; 25 - antenna input; 26 - power block; 27 - oil tank assembled with heater boiler; 29 - coarse fuel filter; 30 - hydraulic pump; 32 - rotating tower; 33 - gunner's seat; 34 - exhaust fan; 35 - sight; 36 - commander's seat; 37 - PRHR sensor; 38 - power supply; 39 - control panel PRHR; 40 - switching unit; 41 - device A-1 tank intercom; 42 - installation of a 7.62-mm course machine gun; 43 - box for machine-gun belt; 44 - radio station; 45 - heading indicator power supply; 46 - air balloon

1 - gyro semi-compass; 2 - power supply of the radio station; 3 - machine gun installation; 4 - driver's seat; 5 - radio station; 6 - observation device with a built-in sighting tube; 7 - the central shield of the driver; 8 - driver's hatch; 9 - observation devices of the driver; 10 - power supply unit for the driver's night observation device; 11 - battery; 12 - shop-box; 13 - battery switch; 14 - crane-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 terrain, the transparency of the atmosphere and the amount of natural light and averages 400 m. The angle of view is 6 °, the magnification factor is 6.7. In day mode, the scope has a 6x magnification and a 15° field of view. In the eyepiece to the right of the reticle is a rangefinder scale, calculated for a target height of 2.7 m. In addition to the sight, the gunner uses four TNPO-170 periscope 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 fire from them is carried out by the commander of the vehicle and the machine gunner. The ammunition load of each machine gun consists of 1000 rounds placed in four regular boxes. The maximum effective range of fire with the help of the TNPP-220 sight is 800 - 1000 m.

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

In the aft part of the hull there is an engine-transmission compartment, in which a 6-cylinder V-shaped four-stroke compressorless liquid-cooled diesel engine 5D20 is installed, developing a power of 240 hp. (176 kW) at 2400 rpm. Taking into account the low weight of the machine - only 6700 kg - this gives a very high value of specific power - 32 hp / t, which, in turn, allows the machine 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 from the flywheel side, and to the hydraulic pump drive - HLU-39 from the opposite side.

Fuel - diesel DL, DZ or YES. The total capacity of the fuel tanks is 280 liters. Fuel supply is carried out using a high-pressure six-plunger block pump.

A 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 the outside of the vehicle and from the fighting compartment, which increases the safety of movement afloat. The air intake by the engine is heated.

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

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

1 - sleeve link collector; 2 - roller; 3 - sleeve sleeve cover; 4 - PKT store; 5 - lock; 6 - rib; 7 - lifting mechanism; 8 - gun 2A28; 9 - starting bracket; 10 - bracket for mounting 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 - seat gunner-operator; 24 - conveyor frame; 25 - guide mounting bracket; 26 - roller bracket; 27 - centering roller; 28 - platform suspension bracket in the tower; 29 - rear hinged support of the turret rotation mechanism; 30 - turret rotation mechanism; 31 - link 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 clip; 4 - nut; 5 - rubber ring; 6 - seal; 7 - spring; 8 - support; 9 - stopper in a marching way; 10 - sleeve link; 11 - hull roof; 12 - outer disk; 13 - internal disk; 14 - body; 15 - observation device - sight TNPP-220; 16 - protective cap; 17 - axis; 18 - forehead; 19 - eccentric clamp; 20 - machine gun electric trigger button; 21 - handle; 22 - bunker; 23 - frame for installing a box with a tape; 24 - front pillar; 25 - frame with sliders; 26 - bed; 27 - torsion balancing device; 28 - bracket; 29 - torsion bar

The main way to start the engine is with an electric starter, air start is possible, but the compressor is not provided in the car. 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 barrier or washing.

The engine is interlocked with a transmission consisting of a single-disk 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. with steel-on-steel friction.The main clutch, gearbox, side clutches are connected to the engine in one power unit.In addition, gearboxes are installed in the engine compartment that drive jets.A radiator of the engine cooling system is placed above the gearbox.Air circulation through the radiator is ensured by the louvres in the top plate of the housing.

Chassis BMD-1 in relation to one side consists of five rubber-coated dual ribbed road wheels made of light alloy. The role of elastic suspension elements is performed by hydropneumatic springs combined into a single system. They use compressed nitrogen as an elastic element, the force on which is transmitted through a liquid.

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

1 - crankcase; 2 - flywheel; 3 - arrow-pointer: 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

The hydropneumatic suspension is more complicated than the torsion bar, but has more favorable characteristics in terms of elasticity in a wide range of loads. In addition, it combines the functions of an elastic spring, a hydraulic shock absorber that dampens vibrations of the body, an executive power cylinder when the machine'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 hung out. The suspension allows you to reduce the overall height of the vehicle when stopping and driving on a flat road, hanging it when installed on a landing platform, and reducing the protruding undercarriage when moving afloat. All elements of the suspension and clearance adjustment are located inside the body. The guide wheels are located in the front of the housing. The change in the tension of the tracks is carried out using a hydraulically driven crank mechanism. The process of tensioning and loosening the tracks is controlled by the driver from his place, without leaving the car. On the BMD-1, small-link caterpillars with OMSH are used, consisting of 87 tracks each. In the middle part of the tracks on their inner surface there are guide ridges. The upper branches of the caterpillars rest on four single-sided rubberized supporting rollers, two of them (middle ones) are located outside the ridges, and the extreme ones are behind them. The caterpillar track is not covered by protective screens.

The movement through the water is carried out by water-jet propulsion, located in the engine compartment along the sides of the machine body. Water cannons are mounted in tunnels, the inlets of which are arranged in the bottom of the machine, and the outlets are in its stern. The inlet and outlet openings are closed with special sliding flaps that perform the functions of both protection and steering when swimming. Closing the shutters of one of the water cannons causes the machine to turn. The BMD-1 floats perfectly on the water, while having a good swimming speed (up to 10 km/h) and maneuverability. During navigation, a wave-reflective shield rises in front of the hull, which prevents the front of the machine hull from flooding with water.

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

To provide external communications, the R-123M radio station was 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-1K command vehicle was produced, on which the following were additionally installed: the second R-123M radio station; antenna filter; the second apparatus A2 intercom R-124; benzoelectric unit; course indicator; heater and fan of the middle compartment; radiation and chemical reconnaissance device PRKhR (instead of the GD-1M gamma sensor); two removable tables. To improve the working conditions of the commander, the left course machine gun mount was removed from the vehicle.

In 1974, the BTR-D caterpillar armored personnel carrier, created under the leadership of A.V. Shabalin at the VgTZ design bureau using BMD-1 units and assemblies, was adopted by the airborne troops. The prototypes of this machine were military tests in the 119th Parachute Regiment of the 7th Guards. VDD, which has since become a kind of base for testing new technology.

The appearance of the BTR-D was not accidental. Strict requirements for limiting the mass forced to limit the dimensions and, accordingly, the capacity of the BMD-1. 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", it would take too many combat vehicles. Therefore, the idea arose to develop an armored personnel carrier based on the BMD-1, which is weaker armed, but has a large capacity. It differed from the BMD-1 by a hull lengthened by almost 483 mm, the presence of an additional pair of road wheels and the absence of a turret with weapons. The armament of the BTR-D consisted of two 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 of the 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, ten paratroopers are accommodated in the troop compartment. On the sides of the troop compartment, the height of which, compared to the entire body, is slightly increased, there are two loopholes 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 by armored covers in combat position. In front of the roof of the troop compartment is the 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 by rotating it 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, on the basis of the BTR-D, the armored personnel carrier BTR-RD "Robot" was created, equipped with the 9P135M launcher of the Konkurs anti-tank complex for the 9M113 ATGM or 9P135M-1 for the 9M111 Fagot ATGM. He 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 a 23-mm ZU-23-2 twin automatic anti-aircraft gun on a field carriage on the roof of the hull.

The BTR-D also served as the basis for the creation of the 2S9 Nona self-propelled artillery gun and the 1V119 Rheostat artillery control vehicle. The latter is equipped with a ground-based reconnaissance radar with a detection range of up to 14 km, a laser rangefinder (determined distance - up to 8 km), day and night observation devices, a topographer, an on-board computer, two R-123 radio stations, one R-107. The crew is located in the wheelhouse, the instruments are installed in a rotating turret. Armament includes course PKT, MANPADS, three RPGs of the "Fly" type.

The command and staff vehicle of the "regiment - brigade" link KShM-D "Soroka" is equipped with two radio stations R-123, two R-111, reconnaissance radio station R-130 and classified communication equipment. The BMD-KSh "Sinitsa" of the battalion level 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, an ambulance armored personnel carrier, as well as stations for launching and controlling remotely piloted aircraft such as Bee and Bumblebee of the Malakhit air surveillance complex were produced.

In the late 1970s, BMD-1s underwent changes during a major overhaul. In particular, on some machines, a block of smoke grenade launchers of the 902V Tucha system was installed in the rear of the turret, on others the track rollers were replaced with newer ones (later such rollers appeared on the BMD-2).

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

In 1978, a modernized version of the BMD-1P was adopted with increased firepower due to the installation instead of the Malyutka ATGM, a launcher for firing ATGMs of the Konkurs or Fagot complex with semi-automatic guidance, increased armor penetration and an extended range of combat use distances. The complex is designed to destroy tanks and other mobile armored objects moving at speeds up to 60 km / h, fixed targets - firing points, as well as hovering enemy helicopters, subject to their optical visibility at ranges up to 4000 m. The launcher of the 9M14M complex on the gun mask has been dismantled , and on the roof of the tower there is a bracket for attaching the launcher machine 9P135M of the Konkurs (Fagot) complex. The shooter can direct and launch an ATGM by leaning out of the turret hatch. The ammunition load consists of two 9M113 and one 9M111 missiles, which are placed inside the hull in regular launch containers. In the stowed position, a launcher is also placed inside the hull, and in addition, a tripod, which allows ATGM guidance and launch from the ground.

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

Airborne combat vehicles BMD-1 began to enter the troops in 1968, that is, even before they were officially put into service. The first to receive new equipment and began to master it was the 108th Airborne Regiment of the 7th Guards. airborne division, which became the first regiment fully armed with BMD-1. In the remaining regiments, at first only one battalion was equipped with new equipment. The first division equipped with new equipment was the 44th Guards. VDD, followed by the 7th Guards. vdd. According to the state, a parachute regiment is supposed to have 101 BMD-1 and 23 BTR-D, not counting combat vehicles for various purposes based on them. 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, the process of mastering the means of its landing was going on. 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 on it 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 availability of a complete set of fasteners made it possible to land literally everything on them - from a combat vehicle to a caterpillar tractor or field kitchens. Depending on the mass of the landing cargo, a different number of parachute system blocks was installed on the object (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 speed of lowering objects is no more than 8 m / s. To dampen the impact at the time of landing, air or honeycomb shock absorbers are used.

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

However, there were also disadvantages. The mass 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 a rather long time, and the transportation of systems to airfields required a large number of trucks. It was difficult to load moored cars onto planes. The low rate of reduction of BMD on multi-dome parachute systems was also not satisfied. In addition, when landing, the domes interfered with the movement of combat vehicles, they fell into the tracks, melted, which caused the propellers to jam. The greatest difficulty was elsewhere. From aircraft of different types, from one (An-12) to four (An-22) vehicles were dropped, the crews jumped after them. Sometimes the paratroopers dispersed at a distance of up to five kilometers from their BMD 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, matured a bold and, at first glance, unrealizable idea - to parachute people directly in equipment, and not separately, as was done before. Thus, a significant gain in time was achieved, and the mobility of the landing units was increased. Margelov was well aware that with a significant spread of paratroopers and equipment, the combat mission could be impossible - the enemy would destroy most of the landing force immediately after landing.

In the summer of 1971, the "parachute system - combat vehicle - man" complex began to be developed, which received the code designation "Centaur". At the beginning of 1972, it was created. The testers began to dump the mock-up of the car with people. G-load tolerance was tested by specialists from the State Research Institute of Aviation and Space Medicine. Simplified space chairs of the Kazbek-Kazbek-D type were installed in the machines. After receiving positive results, the stage of technical landings of the aircraft complex followed. Then - BMD reset with dogs - the results are also great; 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 understudies (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 Bear 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 parachute track (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.

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

Other shortcomings of multi-dome parachute systems were eliminated in the PRSM-915 parachute-reactive system adopted by the Airborne Forces. This is a strapdown airborne assault vehicle designed to drop specially prepared cargo and military equipment from Il-76 and An-22 aircraft equipped with roller conveyor equipment, or from An-12B aircraft equipped with a TG-12M transporter. A distinctive feature of the PRSM-915, compared to 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, the PRSM-915 uses only one main parachute with an area of 540 m?; instead of a parachute platform with a shock absorber, a jet engine-brake was used.

The operation of parachute-jet systems is based on the principle of instantaneous damping of the vertical descent rate 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, with the help of the EPS (exhaust parachute system), the main parachute is put into action, which extinguishes and stabilizes the falling speed. At this time, the automation of the jet system is activated; a special generator spins up and charges a large capacitor - its charge will then be used to ignite the brake engine. Two probes lowered vertically down have contact switches at their ends. When they touch the ground, they trigger a powder jet engine, which instantly dampens 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 area of the ejection.

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

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

On January 23, 1976, the Reactavr or Reactive Centaur joint landing complex was tested using the PRSM-915 parachute-reactive system. In the airborne assault vehicle were Lieutenant Colonel L. Shcherbakov and, as in the case of the Centaur, the son of the commander of the Airborne Forces A. Margelov. The tests went well. In subsequent years, about 100 landings of the Reaktavr system were made.

For the 1970s, it became characteristic for the airborne troops to practice large-scale training landings. In March 1970, for example, a large 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 came in handy when troops were sent to Afghanistan. In December 1979, formations and units of the Airborne Forces, conducting an independent, in essence, airborne operation, landed in Afghanistan at the airfields of Kabul and Bagram and completed their assigned tasks before the ground forces approached.

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 led to the fact that when they were blown up by powerful land mines, they practically collapsed into their component parts. Weaker anti-tank mines either completely destroyed the undercarriage or pierced the bottom.

The impossibility of firing on the slopes of the mountains and the low effectiveness of 73-mm shells against mud walls were immediately revealed. Therefore, most of the units of the Airborne Forces in Afghanistan moved to the land-based BMP-2, and then to the variant with enhanced armor - 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 the photographs, participated in a major battle with UNITA troops near the city of Movinga in 1990. Apparently, a small number of BMD-1s were also in Iraq in 1991.

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

By the time the Soviet troops were withdrawn from Afghanistan, the Vienna negotiations on the conclusion of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) were already in full swing. According to the data that the Soviet Union submitted 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 number was 805 and 465 combat vehicles, respectively. At the moment, their number has decreased even more - combat losses in the North Caucasus and technical deterioration have affected. Up to 80% of machines have been in operation for 20 years or more, 95% have undergone one or even two overhauls.

Since the birth of the airborne troops, the thought of designers has been occupied by the problem of creating effective weapons and military equipment for them. The experience of the Second World War showed that "winged infantry" in terms of protection, firepower and mobility should not be inferior to ground infantry. However, the solution to this problem in the early years of the creation of airborne troops was held back by the level of development of military transport aviation, as a means of delivering them to the landing site. With the advent of specially created military transport aircraft An-8 and An-12 and new directions in the development of military-theoretical thought, the increased capabilities of industry, there appeared material and technical prerequisites for creating models of weapons and equipment capable of landing not only by landing, but also by parachute.

Work on the creation of the world's first BMD was started by the design bureau of the Volgograd Tractor Plant in 1965. The designers had to create a high-speed, lightly armored, tracked, floating, airborne combat vehicle with the combat capabilities of a land-based BMP-1. In 1969, such a machine was created, adopted by the Soviet Army and put into serial production at the Volgograd Tractor Plant under the designation BMD-1. Currently, in addition to the airborne troops of Russia and some other CIS countries, this machine is in service with India and Iraq.

The BMD-1 is built according to a design scheme 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 stern. The body is welded from relatively thin armor plates - for the first time in the practice of Soviet engineering, aluminum armor was used. This made it possible to significantly lighten the car, but at the expense of the protection of the reserved space.

The armor protects the crew only from 7.62 mm small arms fire and shell fragments. The upper frontal plate is very strongly deviated from the vertical - by 78", but the angle of inclination of the lower one is much smaller and is only 50". This decision is dictated by the desire to increase the volume of internal space, as well as the buoyancy of the machine. The wave-reflecting shield, which lies on the front frontal plate when driving on land, serves as additional protection.

On the right side of the driver is the place of the gunner, who serves two machine guns of 7.62 mm caliber installed in ball mounts on both sides of the bow of the BMD and, for this reason, having limited firing angles.

In the middle part of the hull there is a fighting compartment with a single turret. The tower is made in a combined way, its main part is made by casting, after which the rest of the fragments are welded to it. The gunner's seat is located inside the turret. It serves a semi-automatic 2A28 smoothbore gun of 73 mm caliber and a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun coaxial with it. Ammunition for the cannon - 40 rounds - is in the store, located around the circumference of the tower, as in the BMP-1. The cannon is fired with cumulative and high-explosive fragmentation shells. Since one of the most important requirements for the vehicle was its low weight, the designers had to simplify (compared to the BMP) the automatic loader. The transporter delivered the projectile selected by the gunner to the loading point, after which the gunner had to manually move it and insert it into the breech. The armament of the tower was supplemented by a launcher for launching 9M14M Malyutka anti-tank guided missiles. In addition to one ATGM on the launcher, two more were transported in the car. The launcher, ATGMs, control devices and, finally, the way they are installed on the BMD-1 are exactly the same as on the BMP-1.

Like on the BMP-1, the armament of the tower is not stabilized. Guidance in the horizontal and vertical planes is carried out using fully electric drives. In the event of their failure, the gunner can use a manual drive.

To monitor the terrain and fire, the gunner has at his disposal a monocular periscope sight-rangefinder 1PN22M1. The window of this device is located on the left side of the tower, in front of the gunner's hatch. The sight-rangefinder can operate in two modes: day and night. Surveillance at night is provided by an active night vision device (the searchlight is located on the tower, to the right of the hatch). Depending on weather conditions, the maximum visibility ranges from 400 m to 900 m. The eyepiece has a rangefinder scale, the base for which is the target height of 2.7 m. Places for three paratroopers are provided directly behind the tower. Two are operating an RPG-7 anti-tank grenade launcher, the third is armed with his standard weapon, a 7.62-mm AKM assault rifle. In the sides and cover of the aft hatch there are three periscopes and three ball mounts for firing from personal weapons of combat crew.

In the aft part of the hull there is an engine-transmission compartment, in which a six-cylinder four-stroke liquid-cooled diesel engine 5D20 is installed, developing a power of 176 kW at 2600 rpm. The engine is interlocked with the transmission, which consists of a single-disk dry friction clutch, a five-speed gearbox (one reverse gear), two side clutches with brakes and two single-stage planetary final drives. All these nodes form a single power block. In addition to it, gearboxes are installed in the engine compartment, which actuate water jets.

Above the gearbox is a radiator of the engine cooling system. Air circulation through the radiator is ensured by louvers in the top plate of the case. Two additional fuel tanks are installed on both sides of the air intake on the wings of the car.

The chassis of the BMD-1, in relation to one side, includes five rubber-coated dual ribbed road wheels made of light alloy. The role of elastic suspension elements is performed by hydropneumatic units, combined into a single system. All elements of the suspension and clearance adjustment are located inside the body. Tension wheels are located in front of the body. Track tension is changed hydraulically. The process of tensioning and loosening the tracks is controlled by the BMD driver from his place, without leaving the car. On the BMD-1, small-linked tracks are used, in which adjacent tracks are interconnected by means of common fingers. In the middle part of the tracks, on their inner surface there are guide ridges. The upper branches of the caterpillars rest on four supporting rollers, two of them (middle ones) are located outside the ridges, and the extreme ones are behind them. The caterpillar track is not covered by protective screens.

BMD-1 is able to swim through water obstacles. Movement on water is carried out by water-jet propulsion located in the engine compartment. The drive guns are mounted in tunnels, the inlets of which are arranged in the bottom of the machine, and the outlets are in its stern. The inlet and outlet openings are closed with special sliding flaps that perform the functions of both protection and steering when swimming. Closing the shutters of one of the water jets causes the machine to turn. The BMD-1 floats perfectly on the water, while having a good swimming speed - up to 10 km / h - and maneuverability. During swimming, a wave-reflective shield rises in front of the hull, which prevents the front of the machine from being flooded with water.

The composition of the additional equipment that the BMD-1 is equipped with includes a filter-ventilation unit, an automatic fire extinguishing system, as well as smoke-generating equipment. In addition, a radio beacon is installed on the BMD-1, the signals of which indicate to the crew members the location of the vehicle dropped by parachute system from a transport aircraft. All paratroopers - crew members, dropped with parachutes separately from the BMD-1, have radio sensors that receive beacon signals. This greatly facilitates and speeds up the search for a car, which is often quite a difficult task.

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

Successful design solutions laid down during the creation of the BMD-1 made it possible to use it as a base vehicle in the development of other types of weapons for the airborne troops. In 1971, on the basis of the BMD-1, the command airborne combat vehicle BMD-1K was created. In this car, unlike the BMD-1, two radio stations and a gas-powered unit for autonomous power supply were installed.

In 1974, the BTR-D tracked armored personnel carrier, created on the BMD-1 units and assemblies, was adopted by the airborne troops. It differed from the BMD-1 by a hull lengthened by almost 400 mm, the presence of an additional pair of road wheels and the absence of a turret with weapons. The armament of the BTR-D depended on its purpose, however, most often it consisted of two 7.62-mm machine guns mounted in the nose of the vehicle, an automatic 30-mm AGS-17 grenade launcher, one or two machine guns and four smoke grenade launchers. BTR-Ds were used as control vehicles, artillery tractors and auxiliary vehicles (for example, sanitary evacuation and communications). The permanent crew of the BTR-D consisted of three people, ten soldiers were housed in the troop compartment.

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

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

16 shots were introduced into the ammunition load of the 2A28 gun OG-15V with frag grenades. In mechanized laying, they are evenly spaced - after three shots of PG-15V - two OG-15V. Improved observation devices and an improved 1PN22M2 sight, new rollers were also installed on the machine, the engine and transmission underwent some modifications. In addition, a GPK-59 gyroscopic semi-compass, a calorific heater and a fan of the middle compartment were installed. Combat weight BMD-1P increased to 7.6 tons.

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

MAIN CHARACTERISTICS
Combat weight, kg
Crew (landing), pers.
Main dimensions, mm:
- Body length (with cannon forward)
- Width
- Height
– Clearance
– Base x Track	there is no data
– Track width (track pitch)	there is no data
Average specific ground pressure, kg/sq.cm
Armament (ammunition, shots):
- 73-mm gun 2A28 "Thunder" - 7.62 mm PKT machine guns - PU ATGM 9M111 "Fagot" / 9M113 "Competition"
Elevation angles, deg.
Armament stabilizer
Loading mechanism	electromechanical
aiming devices	(periscopic, day/night)
Surveillance devices
Number of embrasures (of which for machine guns)
Means of setting a smoke screen
Engine type and brand	diesel 5D20
Maximum power, hp (kW)
Number of cylinders
Specific power, hp/t
Fuel tank capacity, l
Transmission	dry friction single disc main clutch, 4-speed manual transmission (4+1), final clutches, planetary final drives
Maximum speed (afloat), km/h:
Power reserve, km
Overcome obstacles:
- rise, hail.
- roll, hail.

- wall, m
- ford, m
Booking, mm	bulletproof
radio station

The latest combat vehicle. To paraphrase the motto of the paratroopers “no one but us”, we can say about the “beemdashki”: no one but them can do this!

Military operation has begun: shooting, field trials, overcoming obstacles. When three caterpillar vehicles, shrouded in a whirlwind of snow, synchronously slip through the bridge, almost rearing up, this, brothers, is strong! Engines are roaring, paratroopers are hurriedly running, here are factory workers, “representatives of the manufacturer”.
This is “controlled military exploitation”, which our army owes to the current Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu. If earlier years passed from the appearance of new military equipment to its adoption for service (and the results often turned out to be unsatisfactory), now new items are immediately sent to the troops, where they are driven “in the tail and mane”, revealing weaknesses and shortcomings. “And the factory workers are surprised: everything worked fine for them,” the military men laugh.
BMD-4M, which will be discussed, have been in such operation since the end of last summer, from bloggers of which only the names of these machines can be heard. No wonder: the first ten copies are tested.

BMD 4M photo airborne combat vehicle

"Gardener", which was assigned to new combat vehicles on the Internet, has nothing to do with them, as well as "Bakhcha-U". All this is the designation of towers with weapons, but neither one nor the other is on the new machine. Therefore - just BMD-4M. "Fourth generation, modernized." And to be precise - completely redesigned.

What BMD - airborne combat vehicle are

The BMD-1, put into service in 1969, made a real revolution: the paratroopers received a hitherto unseen machine - light, compact, floating ... And most importantly - descended by parachute.
Remember the first experience of KAMAZ parachute landing: after a hard landing, the front end was crumpled. And the "beamdash" should land not just unscathed, but with the crew inside - and immediately join the battle!
Therefore, the suspension was made hydropneumatic, the body was welded from strong but light aluminum armor (they say, for the first time in Soviet history), and since 1971, the driver-mechanic and the commander parachuted along with the car - in additional seats, like astronauts.
Over ten years, more than two thousand BMD-1s were produced - during this time the model has undergone a number of upgrades and managed to fight in Afghanistan. There it turned out that the 73-mm gun "Thunder" was ineffective. She did not have a stabilizer, she did not allow shooting at the tops of the mountains, and the shells did not penetrate the Afghan adobe walls well.

On the 1st photo you can see the smoke after firing at the BMD 2, on the other photo of the BMD 1 with a short-barreled 73 mm gun in Afghanistan photo

Therefore, the BMD-2, which was put into service in 1985, was replaced with another - automatic, caliber 30 mm (it is called "helicopter", because it is also installed on combat helicopters). And the car turned out to be so successful that it is not only still in service, but also remains the main “armor” of the Russian landing force.

photo from the BMD-2 turret flames on the sides - from the previous shot

But the BMD-3, which appeared at the turn of the nineties, on the contrary, turned out to be unsuccessful: it received a new armored hull, became larger and much heavier ... But the armament has not changed! And since the production fell on the era of the collapse of the economy, in eight years the Volgograd Tractor Plant assembled only 137 copies.
Finally, at the beginning of the 2000s, the BMD-4 appeared - in fact, the same "three-ruble note", only with a turret from the BMP-3. But this car almost suffered the fate of its predecessor: the plant in Volgograd went bankrupt, introduction into the troops was incredibly delayed ...

A BMD-2 crew fires from a 30mm automatic cannon, followed by a BMD-4M in the background photo

And the military did not just ask - they demanded new equipment. Here is a quote from an interview with the Commander-in-Chief of the Airborne Forces Vladimir Shamanov to Rossiyskaya Gazeta in 2012:

A car is like air. Even in the fight against gangs in the North Caucasus, we lacked firepower. And if the enemy is more serious? With one 30-mm cannon and one anti-tank missile that fires every other time on the tower, you won’t get much today!

And here is a quote from the speech of the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation Valery Gerasimov

BMD-2s are outdated both morally and physically. The age of the machines is 20-25 years, and sometimes more. The wear of the main components and assemblies does not allow the use of combat capabilities. For this reason, during the march to the training ground (we are talking about a sudden check of the combat readiness of the troops), two BMD-2 units failed.

BMD 4M photo airborne combat vehicle from Kurgan

And now, finally, we have the BMD-4M - designed and made no longer in Volgograd, but in Kurgan. There are only two external differences from the previous BMD-4: these are the exhaust (not at the stern, but on the right) and the rollers (with a groove, like the BMD-2). But the stuffing...
Since Kurganmashzavod traditionally produces infantry fighting vehicles, the new "beemdash" is 60% unified with the BMP-3: this is the undercarriage, a turret with weapons, water cannons, and electrical equipment.
And a "power unit" with an engine - a 500-horsepower multi-fuel UTD-29 from the Barnaultransmash plant. By the way, the BMD-2 also has a diesel engine from Barnaul, but 240-horsepower. So the power has more than doubled! Whereas the mass is 1.75 times. And fuel consumption has almost doubled: for the BMD-2, it is equal, judging by the capacity of the tanks and the cruising range, to 56 l / 100 km, and for the new car - 92 l / 100 km. But the power reserve itself remained the same - 500 km.

Engines BMD-2 and BMD-4M photo

And the armament is not even twin, but triple: a 100-mm gun, a 30-mm automatic cannon and a 7.62-mm machine gun. True, the designers had to compromise: since the "helicopter" gun did not fit here, it was replaced with an "aircraft", less rapid-fire one. But the accuracy of shooting, on the contrary, has grown: since the 30-mm barrel is rigidly fastened to the thick “tube” of the 100-mm gun, it does not sway when moving. And if earlier it was necessary to use a dozen or two 30 mm caliber shells to hit a target on the move, now a few shots are enough for this.
And anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) are launched directly through a 100-mm barrel, by pressing a button, while the BMD-2 has to get out of the car to do this.
Finally, now the BMD is landing not only with the driver and commander, but with the entire crew and troops. This means that after landing, the fighters no longer need to look for their cars - which often land several kilometers away ...
Of course, you have to pay for everything - for example, the features of landing.

removable hood covers, on the front BMD-2, in the background BMD-4M

If the BMD-2 can “jump” from different aircraft, from the AN-26 to Antey, then for the larger and heavier BMD-4M, only the IL-76 is suitable, and it is now being modernized so that not two, but three cars can be landed.

photo comparative dimensions of the BMD-2 (she is on the left) the new BMD-4M looks like a real tank. The difference in armament is visible: the BMD-2 has one 30-mm cannon, the BMD-4M has a cannon of this caliber paired with a 100-mm gun

Well, now - it's time to feel like a driver and gunner! For starters - on the well-deserved BMD-2. Oh, what BMD-2s are low compared to armored personnel carriers! “This is to hide from the enemy,” the military commented. “If BMDs lie on the bottom, dropping on a hydropneumatic suspension, they can crawl unnoticed through a wheat field.” In addition, such a suspension allows you to deceive electronic sights, which contain the dimensions of various armored vehicles. Electronics is lost: they say, what is it?
Compare with the BTR-82A (which finally received an electric turret traverse and a weapon stabilizer), is any of this set present on the BMD-2. And you know what turned out? The "beemdash" of the eighties model !!!, unlike the same age as the BTR-80, has it all!
“The Airborne Forces have always received the best,” the paratroopers smile. “Therefore, “beemdashki” by design are twenty or even thirty years ahead of similar infantry equipment.”
But from the point of view of the driver, the BMD-2 is about the same as the armored personnel carrier, only with a workplace in the middle and levers instead of a steering wheel. There are three pedals, the dashboard is ancient.

spartan driver's workplace BMD-2 dashboard from Soviet times, a mess of tubes and rods on the floor is visible

After starting the diesel engine, the first thing to do is to set the idle speed with the regulator (900-1000 rpm). Then, having squeezed the clutch, we turn on the first gear, pull both onboard levers towards ourselves, release the clutch first, then the “onboard” ones - and let's go. True, the driver who was sitting next to me switched gears for me: so that I could concentrate on driving !!!
But it is quite understandable: you need to turn to the right - you pull the right lever (the right caterpillar slows down, and the car spins around it), to the left - the left lever, slow down - both levers. The levers are tight, but the "beemdashka" goes exactly where you want - even on a snowy road, even in an open field. And the ride comfort is much higher than that of an armored personnel carrier, since the suspension is hydropneumatic.

BMD 4M photo airborne combat vehicle passport details

Model		BMD-2	BMD-4M
Combat weight, t		8,0	14,0
Crew, pers.		2	3
Landing, pers.		5	4 (♦ reserved seat)
outdoor	length	5970	6000
dimensions, mm	width	2700	3150
	height	2180	2700
Clearance, mm	min.	100	100-30
	Max.	450	500+30
Engine		diesel 5D20-240	multi-fuel UTD-29
Max, power, hp		240	500
Specific power, hp/t		30,0	35,7
Transmission		mechanical	hydromechanical
Max, speed, km/h	by highway	60-61	70
	afloat	10	10
Fuel tank capacity, l		280	460
Power reserve, km		500	500
Armament	gun-launcher (caliber)	-	2А70 (100 mm)
	cannon (caliber)	2А42 (30 mm)	2А72 (30 mm)
	machine gun (caliber)	PKT (7.62 mm), 2 pcs.	PKTM (7.62 mm)
Ammunition	shots to the gun	-	34
	gun shots	300	464
	machine gun ammo	2980	2000
	ATGM	3	4

But in the place of the gunner, in the tower, I had a hard time: in winter overalls of the 56th size, I could hardly fit there. Somehow he squeezed through the hatch, slipped his legs under the seat. They say to me: “Do you see the three buttons on Cheburashka? Turn them on!” "Cheburashka" is a turret and weapon control panel with two aiming "ears" on the sides. And I can’t just press the buttons, I can hardly breathe: “Cheburashka” rested right on the chest, crushing it. With difficulty I turn on the electric drives and I understand: it’s possible to look at a regular sight, but at an anti-aircraft sight (it’s to the left) it’s already difficult.
“We need to take the small and skinny as gunners here,” I sighed, getting out. Moreover, if the gunner is wounded or killed, you cannot pull him out of his seat inside the car with all your will. And after firing in the tower - a natural smoke curtain: the gunner opens the hatch, and smoke pours out from there ...

Description BMD 4M photo airborne combat vehicle

No wonder that when I went to the BMD-4M, I was skeptical. But I was shocked - firstly, by the spaciousness, and secondly, by the abundance of cutting-edge solutions and electronics. (If it fails, the crew will simply switch to conventional control.)
The first shock was waiting for me at the gunner's place. Yes, I can not only breathe here, but move freely and even take pictures! And "Cheburashka" does not interfere at all. If before the “turret” was sitting alone (and the commander was below, to the left of the driver), now the commander and gunner are side by side. Both have the same thermal imager consoles, and you can aim and shoot while looking straight at the screen. But there are also traditional sights, and they are located more conveniently than the BMD-2.

BMD-4M - space, modern furnishings, only two pedals ... and on-board computer messages, a color shock-resistant display

No less shocked was the space and atmosphere in the "driver's cab". Instead of levers - a steering wheel like a bicycle, above it - a gear selector, reminiscent of the Volga GAZ-21. Is there an automatic box here? Exactly! Therefore, there is no clutch pedal, but the “brake” is wide, for any foot.
Above the steering wheel is a block of illuminated buttons with clear inscriptions, on the left hand is a multi-colored (which generally struck on the spot) shockproof monitor with an image of instruments and messages from the on-board computer (“Ready to launch”, “Parking brake on”, “Attention! Close the hatches!”) . The feeling is as if you are sitting not in a “tank”, but in a starship!
Well, I won’t close the hatch, because I’ll go, like on the BMD-2, “in a marching way,” lifting the seat with a foot lever at the base and sticking my head out. And how to start the engine?
“Electric starter, air, or a combination,” they instruct me. - You press the desired button, then you wait 20 seconds for the system to complete the diagnostics, you press the gas pedal, you press the starter button again ... "

The block of buttons and the selector of the box-"machine" photo BMD-4M

In armored vehicles - a color monitor with the image of instruments. The driver-mechanic of the BMD-4M has space, modern furnishings, only two pedals ... and messages from the on-board computer? Can not be! And the steering wheel instead of levers, the block of buttons and the selector of the box - “machine” are very informative. Three yellow buttons (on the right) are responsible for starting the engine.

R-r-r-bang: the roaring engine suddenly stalled. Did I do something wrong? Too abruptly let go of the "gas"! But the second time it worked. They helped me set the speed, I removed the car from the “mountain brake” (an analogue of a car handbrake), moved the transmission selector to “R” and, having “beeped”, carefully reversed it. And then everything is simple: first gear, acceleration, second - and drove across the field, steering with just one finger. And if the BMD-2 is excellently controlled, then the BMD-4 is also incredibly easy. And therefore, I can add to the expression of the military “beautiful equipment fights well”: but you don’t get tired in a comfortable and modern one! The gunner in the BMD-4M is much more spacious and comfortable, the gunner and the commander have thermal imagers, with which you can both aim and shoot.

Working clearance BMD-4M 420 mm, but can vary from 500 to 100 mm

You know what I didn't expect? How the paratroopers will answer my question, do they like the service. Several people from the BMD crews, without saying a word, said that they were very interested: “Well, we are studying new equipment.” And to serve with interest - you see, is completely different than to master the machines, behind the levers of which the fathers of today's guys were still sitting.
By 2025, the Airborne Forces should receive about 1,500 new "beemdash" - which, as the military assures, has no analogues in the armies of other countries. So - for the landing! And for the fact that these machines fired only at the training grounds.