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 distances combat use. Machine development BMD-1P was carried out in the same VgTZ design bureau by analogy with the modification of an infantry fighting vehicle. Production BMD-1P 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, they were modernized to their level with overhaul all previously released and BMD-1K. Thus, all remaining in service in Russia and the CIS countries after 1990 combat vehicles landing 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. Launcher with a sight in the stowed position also fits inside the hull, in addition, there is a tripod that turns the ATGM into a portable version that allows you to fire 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.

BMD-1

BMD-1 became the world's first combat landing vehicle ejected from the 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

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 make starting easier 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 hand grenades F-1 and flare gun with 10 flare cartridges.
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 °. The body has a cross section 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 parachute track of the Airborne Forces "Slobodka" 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 created a unique self-propelled unit with cannon-howitzer-mortar . 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

Over the years, R & D was launched to create a number of military and special vehicles on the basis of the BMD-3, but for various reasons, most of them stopped at the stages of preparing working design documentation and manufacturing prototypes for preliminary tests.

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

Commander BMD-ZK

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

BMD-4

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

The BMD-4 has a single BO "Bakhcha-U" manufactured by KBP

This time it was about a significant modernization of the BMD-3 with the preservation of the five-roller chassis and the installation of a two-seat fighting compartment with an armament complex similar to the BMP-3. A new fighting compartment (combat module) was developed in the Tula Instrument Design Bureau (KBP) as part of the BMP-3 modernization program. ROC on the airborne combat vehicle with a new unified fighting compartment received the code "Bakhcha-U" (which is often referred to as the fighting compartment). KBP turned out to be the leading enterprise in this R&D. The co-contractor on the chassis was, of course, VgTZ, where the work was carried out under the guidance of the chief designer V.V. Khanakina. The joint work of the KBP and VgTZ on this vehicle began in 1997. An experimental fighting compartment was manufactured by the KBP and Tulamashzavod in 2001 and was tested on the BMD-3 chassis.

The new airborne combat vehicle was adopted on December 31, 2004 under the designation BMD-4. In May 2005, in Tula, on the territory of the State Unitary Enterprise "KBP", its General Designer A.G. Shipunov solemnly handed over to the commander of the Airborne Forces, Colonel-General A.P. Kolmakov received four BMD-4s, and in August of the same year, the 137th separate parachute regiment(Ryazan). It was supposed to organize mass production of BMD-4 with the manufacture of new chassis at VgTZ and the gradual modernization of previously issued BMD-3 to the level of BMD-4 during the overhaul.

One of the first airborne combat vehicles BMD-4 ("Object 960"). Embrasure automatic grenade launcher in the front hull sheet is not yet muffled

BMD-4 afloat

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

Of course, there were some frictions. Against the backdrop of the whole positive feedback The airborne command voiced complaints about the BMD-4 exceeding the mass limit of 13.2 tons, which had previously been agreed with great difficulty for the BMD-3 (although such a radical increase in weapons could have given a much larger increase in mass). The intensive operation of the first three BMD-4s in the 137th regiment made it possible to identify a number of problems. In particular, claims were also made about the "docking of the turret and chassis" - mainly to the compatibility of the electrical equipment of the vehicle body and the fighting compartment, to the narrow temperature range of limit switches, etc. The workmanship of some parts caused criticism, which required improvements. If the paratroopers who operated the first BMD-4s even joked that in the car “one more place needs to be provided - for a plant representative” (and representatives of the KBP and VgTZ were all the time in the unit in the process of trial operation), then to the machines of the next serial the parties were treated much better. From Ryazan, the BMD-4 was transferred to the 76th Airborne Assault Division (Pskov).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The combined gunner's sight and the commander's panoramic sight were developed by the Design Bureau together with Temp-Avia ANPP (Arzamas), FSUE Polyus Research Institute (Moscow), VOMZ OJSC (Vologda). JSC NKB VS (Taganrog), a ballistic computer, control panels, navigation equipment - MIET (Zelenograd), a stabilizer - JSC SKB PA (Kovrov) were involved in the creation of the target tracking machine. So the KBP did not exaggerate, saying that the components for the assembly of the BMD-4 "are brought from all over Russia." The components of the OMS are connected by a single information and control system. The SLA allows the commander and gunner to conduct effective fire from a place and on the move (including afloat), day and night, and significantly increases the reconnaissance capabilities of the BMD-4. The ability to conduct aimed fire on the move for a lightly armored vehicle is probably still greater value than for vehicles of the heavy category, since it helps to reduce vulnerability to enemy fire. On the other hand, an increase in the firing range of a high-explosive fragmentation projectile makes it possible for the BMD-4 to support the actions of paratroopers with fire from closed positions.

The performance characteristics of the BMD-4

Gross weight, t .............................................. .13.6
Crew + landing, people .............................. 2 + 5

Air transportation ..................... by aircraft of the Il-76 (M, MD), An-22 type

Height on the working clearance, mm .................... 2227
Length with cannon forward, mm .............................. 6780
Body length, mm.......................................6000
Width, mm ............................................... .....3256
Clearance, mm .............. 100-500 (working - 420)

Armament:
launcher weapon:
- brand ................................................ ........2А70
-caliber (mm), type .........................100, rifled
- loading ............................ automatic loader
- rate of fire (OFS), rds / min .... 10-12 gun:
- brand ................................................ ........2А72
-caliber (mm), type .............................30, rifled

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

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

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

Ammunition:
- shots to 100 mm
gun-launcher with anti-tank guided missiles .................. 4
- shots for a 100-mm gun-launcher with OFS .............................................. .......34
- cartridges for the 30-mm gun .............................. 464
- cartridges for 7.62 mm machine gun ....................... 2000

Armor protection ......................... bulletproof

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

Transmission ...............................hydromechanical with differential rotation mechanism, with hydrostatic transmission
Suspension of track rollers ...............individual pneumatic
Caterpillar................................................. steel, double-ridged, lantern gearing, with successive rubber-metal hinges

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

water mover,
type.................................................hydrojet

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

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

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

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

The fighting compartment also has a gunner's sight-understudy PPB-2, manual backups for weapon triggers. All-round visibility is provided by TNPT-2 periscope surveillance devices.

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

In front of the BMD-4 hull, the right mount for the RPKS74 light machine gun was retained, the left mount for the AGS-17 grenade launcher was removed. Onboard and aft installations for individual landing weapons are preserved.

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

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

BMD-4 equipped collective system weapon protection mass destruction with a filter-ventilation unit and high-speed fire-fighting equipment.

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

The machine is equipped with VHF radios R-168-25U (“Akveduk-25U”) and R-168-5UV (“Akveduk-5UV”), providing a radio communication range in motion, respectively, up to 20 and up to 10 km, intercom and communication equipment R-168 AVSK-B, GLONASS/GPS satellite navigation system receiver with data display on the commander's monitor. In the commander's version of the BMD-4K, an additional radio station and specially equipped workplaces are provided.

The transportation and landing of the BMD-4 was supposed to be from the same military transport aircraft as the BMD-3. Changes in the weight and size characteristics and the overall configuration of the BMD-4 compared to the BMD-3 required the refinement of landing equipment. On October 31, 2005, TTZ was issued for the development of landing equipment for the BMD-4. This R & D was carried out as part of the creation of unified parachute landing equipment for combat and special vehicles of the Airborne Forces with a crew and combat crew inside the vehicle. - the degree of unification exceeded 90%.

In 2007, run tests of the BMD-4 with landing aids in the stowed position and tests afloat, without flight preliminary tests, in 2008, static, pile driver technical tests and physiological testing with two testers inside the machine. Underfunding of work, the haste of state tests of the machine without landing equipment, the late issuance of the TTZ gave rise to a situation where the BMD-4 was put into service with the actual absence of its landing equipment and without experimental loading into the cargo compartment of the aircraft. The system of developing and adopting a single complex "object - landing means - military transport aircraft" that had developed in Soviet times and justified itself was destroyed. However, the production of BMD-4 was limited.

Soviet/Russian combat tracked amphibious vehicle, airborne by parachute, parachute-jet or landing method. BMD-3 is designed to transport personnel airborne troops, increasing its mobility, armament and security on the battlefield.

Adopted in 1990

History of creation

Work on the creation of the BMD-3 was started in parallel with the development of the BMP-3. However, the results of the development showed that the mass of the BMP-3 with landing equipment would significantly exceed 20 tons, so the Il-76M aircraft would be able to carry only one combat vehicle on board. Therefore, in the early 1980s, work was opened to create the appearance of an airborne combat vehicle. During the design, two options for the BMD-3 were considered. The first assumed a vehicle with an armament complex of a 100-mm 2A70 gun paired with a 30-mm small-caliber 2A72 automatic gun. The estimated mass of such a BMD was 18 tons. The second option involved the use of a combat module with a 30-mm automatic gun 2A42. Thus, the loading of the Il-76M aircraft was either 2 infantry fighting vehicles weighing 18 tons, or 3 infantry fighting vehicles weighing 12.5 tons. Subsequent research work has proved that with the second option, BMD tasks are performed much more efficiently. On the basis of the experience gained and the results of research, on May 20, 1983, by the decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR and the Central Committee of the CPSU No. 451-159, the ROC was officially opened under the code "Bakhcha". The work included the development of an airborne combat vehicle weighing 12.5 tons. The Volgograd Tractor Plant was appointed the lead developer.

A month after the decision was issued, the tactical and technical specifications for the new BMD were agreed, and the stage of the technical project was completed. When developing a new BMD, the experience gained in the course of work on the BMD-1 and the light tank "Object 934" was used. By 1985, three prototypes of the new BMD were manufactured and completed acceptance tests. According to the test results, it turned out that all the samples exceeded the permissible weight by 190-290 kg, the running machine gave numerous failures in operation, however, thanks to the operational work of the VgTZ design bureau, most of the shortcomings were eliminated and in May 1986, the experimental BMD completed preliminary tests.

In 1986, the Volgograd Tractor Plant produced 3 more prototypes, which were sent for State testing. New samples exceeded the permissible weight by 400 kg, as they were manufactured taking into account measures to improve the reliability of the undercarriage components. State tests of BMD took place from October 27, 1986 to October 27, 1987. According to the test results, two of the three machines were finalized and sent for control tests in various climatic zones. The tests were carried out from July 10 to November 19, 1988. The test result on the topic "Bakhcha" was rated as positive. The machine as a whole met the performance requirements, so on February 10, 1990, the Object 950 combat vehicle was adopted by the USSR under the designation BMD-3.

Design Description

Thanks to the dual-channel sight, both the gunner-operator and the vehicle commander can fire from the cannon and the 7.62-mm machine gun coaxial with it. The machine is equipped with a stabilized combined day and night (active-passive) periscope sight.
The BMD-3 has individual universal seats for the entire combat crew (7 people), which are attached not to the bottom, but to the roof of the hull, this increases the protection of the crew from mines and land mines.
There is protection against weapons of mass destruction.
Ammunition, pcs.:
-30 mm rounds for the 2A42 gun (500)
- cartridges of caliber 7.62 mm (2000)
-ATGM "Competition" (4)
- shots for the AGS-17 grenade launcher (290)
- cartridges of caliber 5.45 mm (2160)
-Air transportation: Il-76, An-22, An-124, Mi-26
-Air landing: Il-76, An-22

Characteristics

Combat weight, t: 12.9..13.2
- Crew, people: 2
- Landing, pers.: 5
-Dimensions:
- Case length, mm: 6000
-Length with gun forward, mm: 6360
- Hull width, mm: 3114
-Height, mm: 2170..2450
- Base, mm: 3200
- Track, mm: 2744
-Clearance, mm: 130..530
Booking:
- Armor type: bulletproof. Steel turret, aluminum armor hull
Armament:
- Caliber and brand of gun: 30 mm 2A42
- Gun type: rifled small-caliber automatic gun
- Gun ammunition: 500+360
- Angles VN, degrees: -5..+75
- GN angles, degrees: 360
- Firing range, km: up to 4
-Sights: BPK-2-42, 1PZ-3, PZU-5, PPB-2-2
-Machine guns: 1 x 7.62 mm PKT 1 x 5.45 mm RPKS-74
-Other weapons: 1 x AGS-17 "Flame" 1 x PU ATGM 9M111 "Fagot" / 9M113 "Competition"
Mobility:
-Engine type: Brand: 2V-06-2 Type: supercharged diesel Displacement: 16950 cc Configuration: Boxer-6 Cylinders: 6 Combined fuel consumption: 136..164 l/100 km Highway fuel consumption: 90 l / 100 km Cooling: liquid Cycle rate (number of cycles): 4 Cylinder firing order: 1l-3p-2l- -1p-3l-2p Recommended fuel: DL, DZ, YES, TS-1, T-2, A-72 , A-76, AI-93 Engine power, l. p.: 450
-Speed ​​on the highway, km/h: 70..71
- Speed ​​​​over rough terrain, km / h: 10 afloat
- Cruising on the highway, km: 500
-Cruising range over rough terrain, km: 275..330
- Specific power, l. s./t: 24.3
- Suspension type: independent, individual pneumatic
- Specific ground pressure, kg/sq.cm: 0.32..0.48
- Climbability, deg.: 35
- overcome wall, m: 0.8
- Crossable ditch, m: 1.5
- Crossable ford, m: floats

Since the inception of the airborne troops, the thought of designers has been occupied by the problem of creating effective weapons for them and military equipment. 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, put into service Soviet army and put into mass 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.

BMD-1 is built according to the classic for tanks, but unusual for infantry fighting vehicles constructive scheme: the fighting compartment is located in the middle part of the hull, and the engine-transmission 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.

Armor only protects the crew from fire small arms caliber 7.62 mm 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.

In front of the body along the axis of the machine is located workplace driver mechanic. 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 periscopes. 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. To monitor the terrain, he has an optical device for all-round visibility and one periscope. Communication with the higher command is maintained using the R-123 radio station.

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 the 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 serving manual anti-tank grenade launcher RPG-7, the third is armed with its standard weapon 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 compartment, in which a six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engine liquid cooling 5D20 developing power 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 additional equipment that the BMD-1 is equipped with includes a filter-ventilation unit, an automatic fire extinguishing system, and 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.

lucky Constructive decisions, 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.