BMD-3

The BMD-3 (Boyevaya Mashina Desanta , Russian "Боевая Машина Десанта", literally "Combat Vehicle of the Airborne") is a light infantry fighting vehicle originating in the Soviet Union that is fully amphibious and air-droppable with crew inside. It is intended to be a fire-support platform for use by airborne and air assault units. It is not an upgraded BMD-1 but a completely redesigned vehicle with a hydropneumatic suspension, new hull, a more powerful 2V-06-2 diesel engine and fitted with the complete turret of the BMP-2.

The vehicle is manufactured at the Volgograd Tractor Factory, Volgograd, Russia under the industrial index Objekt 950 and entered service with the VDV in 1990, in the last year before the fall of the Soviet Union. 123 BMD-3s and 60 BMD-4s are in service with the Russian Airborne Troops. They are planning to receive 10 BMD-4M vehicles and 10 BTR-MD vehicles for final testing by mid-2013, with commissioning by the end of 2013. The Russian Airborne is planning to acquire 1,000 BMD-4Ms through 2020.

Variants

 * BMD-3 (Object 950) - Basic type, as described.
 * BMD-4 (Object 960) - Modified chassis with new turret "Bakhcha-U" comprising: 100 mm main gun 2A70, 30mm autocannon 2A72, 7.62 mm machine gun, and new fire control system "Ramka". The bow-mounted AGS-17 has been removed. The armament is similar to the one of the BMP-3. BMD-4s are new-build or upgraded BMD-3s. The prototype was known as BMD-3M. Photos. The BMD-4 is no longer being purchased for the Russian troops, in favor of the BMD-4M.
 * BMD-4M - Upgraded variant with a completely new chassis and the 500 hp UTD-29 engine of the BMP-3. This version will be produced by Kurganmashzavod (KTZ) instead of VgTZ. The vehicle was presented to the VDV in March 2008. According to KTZ, series production could have started in 2009. The BMD-4M was evaluated by the VDV. In August 2011, the evaluation process still wasn't terminated and no firm agreement had been taken as to the delivery of the 10 first vehicles to the VDV, as foreseen in the 2011 state orders. Photo.  The Russian Defense Ministry decided to adopt the BMD-4M in December 2012.
 * RKhM-5 (Object 958) - Chemical reconnaissance vehicle, fitted with the same specialised equipment as the BTR-80 version RKhM-4. The turret has been removed; the RKhM-5 has a fixed superstructure with machine gun turret.
 * BTR-MD “Rakushka” (Object 955) - Multi-role transport vehicle with bigger hull and no turret. This type can be used to transport troops, fuel, ammunition and wounded personnel. It also serves as the basis for a new range of specialised vehicles for the Russian airborne forces, including a mortar platform, an ambulance BMM-D, a command post vehicle and a recovery vehicle. Some of the variants will have a longer chassis with 7 road wheels and probably the same 510 hp engine as the 2S25.
 * BTR-MDM - More modern version with the same improvements as the BMD-4M.
 * 2S25 "Sprut-SD (Object 952) - Self-propelled anti-tank gun, armed with a 125 mm gun 2A75 that has similar ballistics as the main gun of the 2A46 series and can also fire the ATGM 9M119 Svir. The chassis has 7 instead of 5 road wheels on each side and the engine is now the 2V-06-2S of 510 hp. The 2S25 has a combat weight of 18 tonnes and a crew of 3. It entered service in 2007. Photos

Operators

 * 🇷🇺 - About 123 BMD-3s in active service, and more than 400 in storage. Up to 60 BMD-4Ms, either upgraded from BMD-3s or new-built, are in active service.

Resources

 * FAS
 * Military Factory