BMD-3 based combat vehicles (1 Part) BMD-4
Over the years, R & D was started to create a number of combat 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 making prototypes for preliminary tests.
From the number of machines on the BMD-3 chassis, put on mass production, we can mention the BMD-4 airborne combat vehicle, 125-mm self-propelled antitank cannon Sprut-SD and the PXM-2 reconnaissance chemical machine. The development of the BTR-MD multi-purpose amphibious armored personnel carrier has also been completed.
Commander BMD-ZK
Preliminary tests commander modification "Bakhcha-K" passed in 1993, the state tests - in 1994, and in 1996, under the designation BMD-ZK, it was adopted for service. The combat crew of the BMD-3K is reduced to five people, radio stations and navigation equipment are additionally mounted on the machine. However, the BMD-ZK was not mass-produced.
BMD-4
Even at the stage of formation of the appearance of the family of combat and special vehicles for the Airborne Forces on the basis of the “90's airborne combat vehicle,” the designers proactively suggested including a “airborne combat vehicle with enhanced armament and defense characteristics”. Its main armament complex would be similar to the BMP-3 (100-mm cannon, 30-mm automatic cannon and 7,62-mm machine gun in a single unit in a double turret) being developed at the same time with the 14-15 t fighting mass. BMD on the six- or seven-chassis chassis - depending on the planned capacity. The project was never implemented, however, the issue of strengthening the BMD’s weapons and unifying it with the weapons of the serial BMP-3 was returned in the second half of the 1990s.
This time it was a question of a substantial modernization of the BMD-3 with the preservation of the five-rolled chassis and the installation of a double combat compartment with a weapon system similar to the BMP-3. A new combat compartment (combat module) was developed in the Tula Instrument Design Bureau (KBP) as part of the modernization program of the BMP-3. The OCD for the assault landing vehicle with the new unified fighting compartment received the cipher "Bakhcha-U" (which is often referred to as a fighting compartment). KBP turned out to be the leading enterprise in this OCD. Co-executive on the chassis was, of course, VgTZ, where the work went under the direction of the chief designer V.V. Hanakina. The joint work of KBP and VGTZ on this machine was developed from 1997. The experienced combat unit was manufactured by KBP and Tulamashzavod in 2001, and was tested on the BMD-3 chassis.
The 31 December 2004 was put into service with the airborne assault vehicle under the designation BMD-4. In May, 2005 in Tula on the territory of GUP “KBP”, its General Designer A.G. Shipunov solemnly handed over to the commander of the Airborne Forces, Colonel-General A.P. Kolmakov has four BMD-4, and in August of the same year, the 137 th separate parachute regiment (Ryazan) received new machines. The organization of serial production of BMD-4 with the manufacture of new chassis on VgTZ and the gradual modernization of the previously released BMD-3 to the level of BMD-4 during the overhaul was supposed.
Of course, it was not without "friction". Against the background of the generally positive feedback from the Airborne Command, there were complaints about exceeding the BMD-4 mass limit of 13,2 t, which had previously been agreed with great difficulty for BMD-3 (although such a radical increase in weapons could give a much greater mass increase). Intensive operation of the first three BMD-4 in the 137 regiment revealed a number of problems. In particular, there were claims to the “docking of the tower and the chassis” - mainly to the compatibility of the electrical equipment of the vehicle and the fighting compartment, to the narrow temperature range of limit switches, etc. The quality of workmanship of some parts caused a complaint that required improvements. If the paratrooper officers who exploited the first BMD-4, even joked that in the car "you need to provide another place - for a representative of the plant" (and representatives of KBP and VgTZ were always in parts during trial operation), then to the machines of the next serial the parties were already treated much better. From Ryazan, the BMD-4 was transferred to the 76 10th Airborne Assault Division (Pskov).
BMD-4 retained the chassis and the overall layout of the base BMD-3. In the control compartment on the machine axis there is a driver, to the right and to the left of it are two paratroopers, as well as two universal seats, on which the commander and the gunner are placed during the landing. Behind the department of management there is a fighting department with the placement of the main armament and two crew members in a rotating turret. Behind the tower is the troop compartment with three places for paratroopers, landing and disembarking through the aft landing hatch. The engine compartment (MTO) occupies the back of the case.
The 100-mm 2А70 launcher was assembled in the turret in a single block, the 30-mm 2А72 automatic cannon to the right of it, the PKN or PKTM 7,62-mm machine gun to the left. Designers KBP managed to make the construction installation of various-sized weapons quite compact; block weapons has a length of 3943 mm, the width of the axles 655 mm, weight 583 kg. Vertical weapon pointing angles are from -6 to + 60 °.
2А70 is a 100-mm rifled low-ballistics gun with a vertical wedge gate, with the ability to launch an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) through the barrel, equipped with a single automatic high-explosive fragmentation projectile and ATGM loader. The machine gun delivers shots from storage locations to the loading plane of the gun-launcher, discharging into the chamber and removing 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 shots are placed in trays, is placed under the floor of the fighting compartment and can be rotated relative to the latter by means of an electromechanical or manual (emergency) drive. The automatic loader reduces gas pollution inside the car and ensures the loading of the gun during 4-6 c.
ATGM together with the gun and control equipment makes up a complex of guided weapons. In its composition can be used ZUBK23-3 rounds with ATGM 9M117M1 or ZUBK10-3 with ATGM 9M117. The control system of both ATGMs is semi-automatic by laser beam. ATGM 9M117M1 "Arkan" with an armor penetration of 750 mm with overcoming of dynamic protection allows to hit modern main combat ranges at ranges of up to 5500 m Tanksincluding M1A1 "Abrams", "Leopard-2" and others (armor penetration of the warhead of ATGM 9M117 - 550 mm without ensuring the overcoming of DZ, the maximum firing range - 4000 m). The ammunition of the gun includes 100-mm rounds with high-explosive shells: 3UOF19 with a shell 3OF70 and 3UOF17 with a shell 3OF32. 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 range of up to 7000 m versus 4000 m with the ZUOF17, while the power of the ZOF70 shell of the ZUOF19 shot was increased due to the higher filling ratio, and the accuracy of fire was improved.
The automatic gun 2А72 has two-sided tape feed with automated and manual feed switching. Ammunition includes ZUBR6 ammunition with an armor-piercing tracer, ZUBR8 with sub-caliber armor-piercing and ZUOF8 with high-explosive fragmentation projectiles. The firing range of the 30-mm cannon is up to 4000 m high-explosive and up to 2500 m armor-piercing sabot projectiles. The used links of the ribbons of the gun and the machine gun, the cartridge cases of the machine gun are retracted inside the fighting compartment. The armament complex is designed to defeat not only ground (main battle tanks, armored vehicles, manpower openly and in shelters, fire installations, ATGM launchers, etc.), but also low-flying enemy targets (possibility of hitting helicopters with 30-mm cannon or ATGM ).
The mechanized ammunition's ammunition pack consists of 34 unitary 100-mm shots (including four shots from an ATGM), 350 cartridges for 30-mm automatic cannon, and 2000 7,62-mm cartridges for a machine gun. In addition, there are six 81-mm smoke smoke grenades ZD6 (ЗД6М) for smoke grenade launchers. When air transporting and paratroop parachuting BMD-4 was established reduction of ammunition. This is one of the forced measures of "removing" excess mass, since for a landing it is required to reduce the mass of the vehicle from 13,6 to 13,2 t.
A significant innovation and advantage of the new combat unit was the automated all-daily fire control system (FCS), including:
- High-precision combined (day / night) gunner's sight with independent two-plane stabilization of the field of view, optical, thermal imaging and distance measuring channels, information channel for control of ATGM. The multiplicity of the daily channel is 12x, the range of the measured distance along the distance measuring channel is up to 10000 m;
- panoramic sight of the commander with day-night and distance measuring channels, allowing the commander to target the gunner, as well as to conduct aimed shooting with all types of weapons, except ATGM;
- automatic target tracking, combined with thermal imaging and television channels scopes;
- two-plane weapon stabilizer, which provides the minimum guidance speed 0,02 degrees / s and maximum transfer speed 60 degrees / s;
- digital ballistic computer;
- external information sensors;
- gunner and commander consoles, commander and gunner monitors, control panel.
The combined gunner’s sight and the commander’s panoramic sight were developed by the KBP in cooperation with the Temp-Avia Scientific and Production Enterprise (Arzamas), the Polyus Scientific Research Institute (Moscow), and the VOMZ (Vologda). The creation of an automatic target tracking machine was attracted by NKB VS OJSC (Taganrog), a ballistic calculator, control panels, navigation equipment — MIET (Zelenograd), a stabilizer — SKB PA (Kovrov). So, they did not exaggerate in the KBP, saying that the components for the assembly of BMD-4 “are brought from all over Russia”. The components of the JMA are connected by a single information management system. The MSA allows the commander and the gunner to conduct effective shooting from the spot and on the move (including afloat), day and night, significantly enhancing the reconnaissance capabilities of the BMD-4. The ability to conduct aimed fire on the move for lightly armored vehicles is probably even more important than for heavy vehicles, since it helps reduce vulnerability to enemy fire. On the other hand, an increase in the range of high-explosive fragmentation projectile enables the BMD-4 to support the actions of the paratroopers with fire from closed positions.
The tactical and technical characteristics of BMD-4
Gross weight, t .............................................. .13,6
Crew + landing party, people ......................................... 2 + 5
Air transportation ..................... by IL-76 type (M, MD), An-22
Height at working ground clearance, mm ................... 2227
Length with forward cannon, mm ............................ 6780
Housing length, mm ...................................... 6000
Width, mm ............................................... ..... 3256
Ground clearance mm .................... 100-500 (working - 420)
Armament:
launcher launcher:
- brand ................................................ ........ 2А70
- caliber (mm), type ......................... 100, threaded
- loading ........................... automatic loading
- rate of fire (OFS), rds / min .... 10 — 12 gun:
- brand ................................................ ........ 2А72
- caliber (mm), type ........................... 30, threaded
Automatic
- rate of fire, rds / min ............................. 200-300 or 550
machine gun:
- brand ................................................ ....... PKTM
- caliber, mm .............................................. ... 7,62
Weapon targeting angles:
- horizon ............................................... ..360 '
- vertically forward ...................... from -6 'to + 60'
Ammunition:
- 100-mm shots
launcher-launcher with ATGM .................. 4
- shots to 100-mm gun-launcher with OFS ...................................... ....... 34
- cartridges for 30-mm gun ............................... 464
- cartridges for 7,62-mm machine gun ...................... 2000
Armor protection .......................... lopopulnaya
Engine:
- type ............................................. four-stroke 6- cylinder diesel with gas-turbine turbocharger, direct fuel injection, liquid cooling
- brand ................................................ ..... 2B-06-2
- power, hp (kW) ............................. 450 (331) at 2000 rpm
Power density, hp / t ................................. 33
Transmission ........................... hydromechanical with differential pivot mechanism, with hydrostatic transmission
Suspension of road wheels ............ individual pneumatic
Caterpillar................................................. steel, two-ridge, bolt-on gearing, with successive rubber-metal hinges
Track width
main track, mm .................................... 380
Water propulsion,
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
- by dirt road, km ............................... 350
- afloat, h ............................................. ............ 8
Ground pressure, kg / cm2 ......................................... ...... 0,51
In the fighting compartment, there is also a double-gunner sight PPB-2, hand-held doubles of the weapons. All-round visibility is provided by periscopic observation devices TNPT-2.
The unitized fighting compartment is not for nothing called a “module” - besides the BMP-3 and BMD-3, it was supposed to be installed on the BMP-2 chassis, SPTR Sprut-SD (this car will be discussed below) and the BTR-90.
In the front part of the BMD-4 case, the right-hand installation for the RPX74 light machine gun is retained, the left-hand installation for the AGS-17 grenade launcher has been removed. Airborne and fodder systems for individual assault weapons were preserved.
The hull and turret of BMD-4, welded from aluminum armor alloy, remained bulletproof and mine resistant at the level of BMD-3. The tower is made in the form of a ten-shaped truncated pyramid; its frontal projections are reinforced with steel armor plates mounted apart from the main armor. On either side of the weapon installation, 81-mm grenade launchers of the 902В “Tucha” system were mounted on the turret to launch smoke and lighting grenades. Specialists of the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Steel, its mechanical part, Tulamashzavod, took an active part in the development of the armored cap of the combat unit.
The installation of a new combat compartment (module) required a number of improvements in the structural groups of the base machine hull. In particular, new pillers (racks) are welded in, and a new sub-bezel ring is installed in the roof of the hull. In addition, when upgrading, the driver's seat, fastening elements for paratroopers' seats, and universal seats for landing the commander and gunner were improved. Some changes have been made to the fastening elements of the personal kit, ventilation equipment, service equipment, communications equipment, spare parts, electrical heating of the seats.
BMD-4 is equipped with a collective system of protection against weapons of mass destruction with a filtering unit and high-speed fire-fighting equipment.
The power unit, transmission, chassis, hydraulic and pneumatic chassis systems are similar to the BMD-3.
The machine is equipped with VHF radio stations P-168-25U (Aqueduct-25U) and P-168-5UV (Aqueduct-5UV), providing radio communications in motion, respectively, up to 20 and up to 10 km, with internal communication equipment and communications P-168 AVSK-B, receiver of satellite navigation systems GLONASS / GPS with the display of data on the monitor of the commander. In the commander version of the BMD-4K machine, an additional radio station and specially equipped workplaces are provided.
Transportation and landing BMD-4 was supposed to be from the same aircraft military transport aviationthat BMD-3. Changes in weight and size characteristics and the general configuration of the BMD-4 compared to the BMD-3 required improvements to the landing facilities. On October 31, 2005, TTZ was issued for the development of landing equipment for BMD-4. This ROC was conducted as part of the creation of unified means of parachute landing of combat and special airborne vehicles with crew and combat crew inside the vehicle. The landing facilities, designated P325 (the main developer is MKPK Universal), are generally similar to PBS-950 for BMD-3 - the degree of unification exceeded 90%.
In 2007, the BMD-4 road tests with airborne assault and field tests were carried out afloat, without flight preliminary tests, in 2008 there were static, master technical tests and physiological tests with two testers inside the machine. The underfunding of works, the haste of carrying out state tests of the machine without landing facilities, the late issuance of the TTZ gave rise to a situation when the BMD-4 was put into service without actually having means of landing it and without carrying out an experimental load in the cargo cabin of the aircraft. The system of development and adoption of a single complex “object - landing craft - military transport aircraft”, which had developed in Soviet times and was justified, was destroyed. However, the production of BMD-4 was limited.
Polygon Dubrovichi, 26 July 2006 g
- Semen Fedoseev
- BMD-3 based combat vehicles (1 Part) BMD-4
BMD-3 based combat vehicles (Part of 2) Sprut
Fighting vehicles based on BDM-3 (part of 3) "Shell", etc.
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