Since the beginning of 2020, over 160 units of various equipment have been delivered to the Airborne Troops, the press service of the Ministry of Defense reports. As the military department specified, the Blue Berets received the latest BMD-4M airborne combat vehicles, BTR-MDM Rakushka armored personnel carriers, the modernized BMD-2KA-U, BTR-82AM airborne combat vehicles, BTR-D armored personnel carriers and MTO maintenance workshops -UB2.
“The airborne troops continue to receive new and modernized models of armored weapons and equipment. They will be actively used during the summer training period, ”the Russian Defense Ministry website says.
It is specified that in January 2020, the BMD-4M and BTR-MDM Rakushka battalion units replenished the arsenal of the 76th guards airborne assault division deployed in the Pskov Region.
According to experts, these vehicles are the most modern examples of military equipment of the Airborne Forces today. BMD-4M replaces, in parts of the winged infantry, modifications of vehicles of previous generations BMD-1, BMD-2 and BMD-3. In turn, the “Shell” “crowds out” Soviet-made armored personnel carriers.
“The BMD-4M and BTR-MDM crews operate in conjunction on the battlefield. Equipped with powerful shock weapons, the latest winged infantry armored vehicles must break through the enemy’s defenses, followed by armored personnel carriers carrying paratroopers. Both vehicles have a unified chassis, which facilitates the production of airborne kits, ”military expert Dmitry Litovkin explained in an interview with RT.
Power and Target Shooting
BMD-4M significantly surpasses previous models in combat capabilities. The machine is equipped with a 100 mm 2A70 gun, a 30 mm 2A72 automatic gun and a coaxial 7.62 mm Kalashnikov machine gun. At the same time, the BMD-1’s most powerful weapon is the 2A28 73 mm smoothbore gun, and the BMD-2 and BMD-3 main caliber is represented by the 30 mm 2A42 cannon.
Ammunition 2A70 includes 34 high-explosive fragmentation shells and 4 anti-tank guided missiles "Arkan". 30-mm BMD-4M cannon can fire 500 rounds of various purposes. Both guns are combined into the “Bahcha-U” combat module developed within the walls of the State Unitary Enterprise “Instrument-Making Design Bureau” (Tula).
“A single 100-mm gun automatic loading system for both types of shots provides high-speed direct fire, as well as with closed firing positions at ranges of up to 7 km, and for mechanized and armored vehicles, aimed fire at ranges up to 5.5 km,” it says in the materials of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
BMD-4M is equipped with an automated fire control system, a new navigation system, the latest electronic equipment, which makes it easier for the crew to aim while driving over rough terrain at high speeds.
BMD-4M also received a new armored hull, chassis and a 10-cylinder diesel engine UTD-29 with a capacity of 500 liters. with. The design of the machine allows you to drop it with the crew inside from the transport aircraft Il-76, An-12 and in the future from An-148.
In May 2017, in the Ryazan Region, the Airborne Forces first carried out the landing of several BMD-4Ms from IL-76 at once with maximum load. For this, the latest multi-dome parachute system with a total area of about 4 thousand square meters was used. m
"Airborne gain new quality"
BTR-MDM, which is supplied as part of the winged infantry complete with the BMD-4M, is designed for transportation of personnel and is suitable for operation in any climatic conditions. The latest armored personnel carrier is equipped with two 7.62 mm machine guns and smoke grenade launch mortars. The total ammunition of the “Shells” machine-gun armament is 4 thousand rounds.
The machine is capable of speeds up to 70 km / h on the highway, up to 45-50 km / h on a dirt road, and up to 10 km / h afloat. "Shell" is equipped with a digital information management system IUS-Sh, night vision devices and sighting system TNP3VE01-01 for firing from a machine gun course.
According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, in the near future, on the basis of the Shell, a whole family of samples of military equipment for the airborne forces will be developed. We are talking about command and staff vehicles, platforms for communications and management, as well as medical and logistics support.
- Armored personnel carriers BTR-MDM "Shell" (in the background) and BMD-2 of a mechanized convoy of the Moscow garrison during training for a military parade on Red Square
- © Ilya Pitalev / RIA News
In addition to the BTR-MDM and BMD-4M interacting on the battlefield, the BTR-82AM armored personnel carriers continue to replenish the airborne fleet. Thanks to the 30-mm automatic gun, their firepower is 2.5 times higher than that of the previous samples. This machine is used to transport personnel and fire support of the landing.
“The BTR-82AM is a deep modernization of the BTR-80 and BTR-80A armored personnel carriers. It surpasses its predecessors in almost all respects. The BTR-82AM has a more powerful engine, a fast-firing 30-mm cannon paired with a 7.62-mm PKTM machine gun (a modernized Kalashnikov machine gun. - RT ), and improved surveillance and aiming devices, ”the Russian Defense Ministry website says.
Also, the BTR-82AM is equipped with a fifth-generation radio station R-168, an orientation system for determining the current coordinates and displaying the vehicle’s location on an electronic map of the area, modernized fire extinguishing system.
Russian designers took care of the armor of the car. Engineers increased the BTR-82AM's mine resistance, and mounted shatter protection on the inside of the hull. The surface of the interior of the armored personnel carrier is sheathed with a special Kevlar coating, necessary for additional protection of the crew from fragments.
“The weight of the BTR-82AM is 16 tons, the armored personnel carrier is equipped with a 300-liter turbo-charged diesel engine. with. and enhanced transmission, the presence of an autonomous diesel generator set allows all systems to function with the main engine idle, ”the military department said.
The command of the Airborne Forces believe that the vehicles in service with the Blue Berets surpass the NATO countries in a number of indicators. In particular, they are able to overcome water barriers on the move, without prior preparation. At the same time, about four hours are spent on events before forcing reservoirs in the western BMD and BTR models. And after overcoming the barrier, the alliance’s military should spend 1.5-2 hours on dismantling the special equipment installed for the crossing.
“In my opinion, the development of armored vehicles in the interests of the Airborne Forces has achieved very good results. In Russia, an excellent design school, and with the support of the Ministry of Defense, it was possible to launch the process of replacing Soviet-style winged infantry units. The new and modernized airborne landing gear has more powerful weapons and modern electronics, ”Dmitry Drozdenko, a columnist for Arsenal of the Fatherland, said in an interview with RT.
Dmitry Litovkin believes that the current process of re-equipping the Airborne Troops is aimed at seriously increasing the shock capabilities of the Blue Beret units. The arrival of new equipment allows the winged infantry to carry out their tasks in almost any region of the world, including in the Arctic, where paratroopers regularly conduct exercises, the analyst argues.
“Today, industry supplies the Airborne Forces with a wide range of the most advanced products, with great attention being paid to increasing the caliber of strike weapons. As a result, the Airborne Forces acquire a new quality and ability to operate in any climatic conditions, landing in the enemy rear, ”concluded Litovkin.