In the second half of the 70s, it was possible to accumulate a certain experience in the operation of airborne combat vehicles. The strengths of the amphibious "aluminum tanks" were considered: relatively low weight, which made it possible to use landing platforms and dome systems with a carrying capacity of up to 9500 kg for parachute dropping, good mobility and maneuverability on soft soils. At the same time, it was quite obvious that the security and armament of the BMD-1 was very far from ideal. This was especially evident after the introduction of a "limited contingent" into Afghanistan.
In the early 80s, the design bureau of the Volgograd Tractor Plant began designing an airborne combat vehicle, with a 30-mm automatic cannon and an ATGM "Fagot" and "Konkurs" launcher. At the same time, in order to save time and financial resources, which were required to launch a new machine into the series, which received the designation BMD-2 after being adopted, it was decided to use the body and units of the existing BMD-1. The first vehicles entered service for military trials in 1984, and a year later the BMD-2 was put into service.
The main innovation was a single turret with a 30 mm automatic cannon and a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun paired with it. The 2A42 cannon and the 2E36 armament stabilizer were originally created for the army BMP-2 and were subsequently adapted for use on the new airborne combat vehicle. The two-plane stabilizer makes it possible to conduct aimed fire while the vehicle is in motion. Compared to the 73-mm smoothbore gun installed on the BMD-1, the effectiveness of the BMD-2's armament has increased significantly. Another difference between the serial BMD-2 and the BMD-1 was the rejection of the left course machine gun mount.
An automatic 30-mm gun with a variable rate of fire (200-300 rds / min or 550 rds / min) could be successfully used not only to combat tank-hazardous manpower and to destroy lightly armored vehicles at a distance of up to 4000 m, but also to fire at low-altitude subsonic air targets flying at an altitude of up to 2000 m and an inclined range of up to 2500 m. The gun ammunition (300 rounds) includes armor-piercing tracer (BT), fragmentation-tracer (OT) and fragmentation-incendiary (OZ) shells. To power the gun, two separate belts are used, consisting of several separate links. The capacity of the tape with BT shells is 100 shots, with OT and OZ - 200 shots. The gun has a mechanism that allows you to switch from one type of ammunition to another. The cannon can be reloaded manually or using a pyrotechnic device. Vertical guidance angles: -6 … + 60, which allows not only to fire at air targets, but also to fire on the upper floors of buildings and mountain slopes.
The 3UBR6 armor-piercing tracer 30-mm projectile weighing 400 g has an initial velocity of 970 m / s, and at a distance of 200 m along the normal it can penetrate 35 mm armor, at a distance of 1000 m armor penetration is 18 mm. The 3UOF8 fragmentation and incendiary projectile weighing 389 g contains 49 g of explosive and has a continuous zone of destruction with a radius of 2 m.
Just like the BMD-1, the new BMD-2 received a 9K111 guided anti-tank weapon system, which is designed to destroy armored vehicles moving at speeds up to 60 km / h, stationary firing points, as well as hovering or slowly flying helicopters at ranges up to 4000 m. The BMD-2 ammunition rack contains two 9M111-2 missiles and one 9M113 missile. In the firing position, the launcher with the hardware unit is mounted on a bracket to the right of the gunner-operator's hatch. For firing from weapons installed in the BMD-2 tower, a combined sight with day and night channels BPK-1-42 (since 1986 BPK-2-42) and a day anti-aircraft sight PZU-8 are used. Also inside the vehicle can be transported MANPADS "Strela-3" or "Igla-1".
Compared to the BMD-1, the vehicle armed with a 30 mm cannon became about 1 ton heavier, which, however, did not affect the level of mobility. Security and mobility remained the same as on the BMD-1 of the latest serial modification. Due to the redistribution of duties and changes in the internal layout, the number of the crew was reduced to two people, and the number of paratroopers transported inside the corps is 5 people. The lamp radio station R-123M was replaced with the semiconductor R-173. By analogy with the BMD-1K, the BMD-2K command vehicle was created, equipped with R-173 radio stations, an AB-0, 5-3-P / 30 gasoline-electric unit and a GPK-59 gyrocompass. To expand the free space inside the car, the transportation of ATGMs on the BMD-2K is not provided.
To drop the BMD-2, the standard landing equipment is used, which was previously worked out on the BMD-1. Although the armor of the vehicle did not become thicker and, just like on the BMD-1, provided protection from bullets of a large-caliber machine gun in the frontal projection, and the side held rifle caliber bullets, the combat effectiveness of the BMD-2 increased by 1.5-1.8 times. The probability of hitting typical tank-hazardous targets, such as a grenade launcher in a trench or an ATGM crew, has more than doubled. The vehicle's vulnerability was reduced due to the fact that 30-mm shells during combat damage, as a rule, did not detonate, even when the cumulative jet hit the ammunition rack. Small-caliber projectiles in this case are quite safe and in most cases do not transfer detonation from one to another. On the contrary, the explosion of one 73-mm projectile on the BMD-1 led to the detonation of the entire ammunition load with a 100% probability of death of the vehicle and crew. Also, due to the transition to 30-mm ammunition resistant to powerful shocks, losses during explosions on mines have decreased. A small number of BMD-2s were sent to Afghanistan for testing in combat conditions. Aluminum "landing tanks" took an active part in two Chechen campaigns, in the conflict with Georgia in 2008, and were involved in a number of peacekeeping operations. In eastern Ukraine, BMD-2s were used by the opposing sides.
Vehicles, rendered immobile as a result of breakdowns or combat damage, were often buried in the ground along the turret and used as fixed firing points on the line of confrontation. In the armed forces of the DPR there was at least one "gantrak", created by installing a BMD-2 with a faulty engine in the body of an armored KamAZ.
In the course of hostilities in the post-Soviet space, the BMD-2, with proper use, has proven itself positively. Often, thanks to the high mobility and skill of the driver mechanics, it was possible to avoid the defeat of RPGs and even ATGMs. The reliability and maintainability of the vehicle turned out to be at a fairly high level, however, during long-term operation in the zone of the "counter-terrorist operation" it was revealed that the resource of some extremely lightweight components and assemblies is less than that of the army BMP-2.
The production of BMD-2 was carried out in Volgograd until the collapse of the USSR. According to The Military Balance 2016, the Russian Armed Forces as of 2016 had about 1,000 BMD-2s. However, the number of serviceable, combat-ready vehicles can be 2-2.5 times less.
In 2012, a decision was announced to modernize 200 BMD-2 to the level of BMD-2M. The upgraded vehicles are equipped with an improved 2E36-6 weapon stabilizer and an all-day fire control system with an automatic target tracking. The Kornet anti-tank complex was introduced into the armament, which allows firing at tanks and low-altitude air targets at a distance of up to 6 km. The modernized car has a modern radio station R-168-25U-2. As of 2016, about 50 overhauled and modernized BMD-2M were delivered to the troops.
Almost simultaneously with the start of work on the BMD-2, the design of the next generation airborne assault vehicle began. When creating the BMD-3, the experience of the combat use and operation of existing airborne combat vehicles in the troops, the trends in the development of light armored vehicles and the improvement of weapons were taken into account. First of all, the task was to increase the security of the crew and the landing force, while maintaining mobility and maneuverability at the BMD-1 level. In addition, the BMD-1 and the BMD-2 created on its basis were rightly criticized for the small number of paratroopers transported inside the vehicle and the extreme constraint of their placement. The experience of using the BMD-2 in hostilities in Afghanistan showed that for a more effective use of weapons on an airborne combat vehicle, it is advisable to have a two-man turret, which should house not only the gunner-operator, but also the vehicle commander. Since in the 80s the Il-76 became the main military transport aircraft, surpassing the An-12 in terms of carrying capacity, and serial construction of the heavy An-124 was carried out, it was considered acceptable to increase the mass of a promising airborne combat vehicle to 15 tons. Since it was impossible to realize all this, further modernizing the BMD-2, in the mid-80s in the design bureau of the Volgograd Tractor Plant under the leadership of the chief designer A. V. Shabalin, a new airborne combat vehicle was created, which, after testing and fine-tuning, was put into service in 1990.
The increase in the size of the hull made it possible to place a two-man turret with a 30-mm 2A42 gun on the vehicle. The cannon's ammunition consists of 500 rounds loaded in combat-ready belts, and another 360 rounds are placed inside the vehicle. Paired with the cannon is a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. Compared to the BMD-2, the body of the new machine has become 600 mm longer and 584 mm wider. In addition to increasing the internal volume, the stability of the vehicle when firing from a cannon increased, which had a positive effect on the accuracy of firing. The gun is stabilized in two planes and can conduct aimed fire on the move. At the disposal of the gunner-operator there are three prism observation devices TNPO-170A. The TNPT-1 device is designed to search for a target and a view with large angles in the vertical and horizontal planes. When firing, the gunner uses the BPK-2-42 binocular periscopic combined sight. The daytime branch of this device has a field of view of 10 ° with a magnification factor of x6; for the night branch, these indicators are 6.6 ° and x5.5. The commander of the vehicle for monitoring the battlefield and searching for targets uses a combined TKN-3MB device, two TNPO-170A prism devices, a TNPT-1 periscopic device and a 1PZ-3 monocular daytime periscope sight with magnifications of 1, 2-4 krat and a field of view of 49- 14 °. To combat tanks, the BMD-3 is equipped with a 9P135M ATGM and four Konkurs ATGMs. In the rear part of the tower there are mortars of the 902V "Tucha" smoke screen system.
The mass of the vehicle in a combat position reaches 13.2 tons. As in the previous generation airborne vehicles, the BMD-3 hull is made of light alloys, and the turret is borrowed from the BMP-2. The vehicle's security has increased slightly, the frontal armor of the BMD-3 is capable of holding 14.5 mm KPVT machine gun bullets. The body of the machine is sealed, which provides protection against weapons of mass destruction. By creating overpressure and cleaning the air inside the machine, a filtering unit is used.
In the frontal sheet to the right of the driver's seat in a ball mount there is a 5, 45-mm RPKS-74 machine gun, and on the left - a 30-mm AGS-17 grenade launcher. Thanks to the hinged flight path of 30-mm fragmentation grenades, automatic fire from the AGS-17 can hit targets that are behind cover, inaccessible to other weapons installed on the BMP-3. The paratroopers are firing from a machine gun and a grenade launcher in the direction of travel. If necessary, the RPKS-74 light machine gun can be dismantled from the ball mount and used individually. In the sides of the vehicle there are two embrasures, covered with armored dampers, designed for firing from the personal weapons of the landing party. The BMD-3 crew consists of three people, inside the car there are places for five paratroopers. The seats of the crew members and the landing force are equipped with shock absorbers to reduce the consequences of mine explosions and are attached not to the floor, but to the roof of the hull.
Despite the increased mass, the mobility of the BMD-3 is even higher than that of the BMD-2. Diesel engine 2В-06-2 with a capacity of 450 hp. accelerates the car on the highway to 70 km / h. The speed afloat is 10 km / h. The machine overcomes an ascent with a steepness of up to 35 °, a vertical wall up to 0.8 m high, a ditch up to 2 m wide.
Due to its ability to stay on the water in waves of up to 3 points, the BMD-3 can be dropped from landing ships into the water and loaded back onto ships in the same way. A new strapdown parachute landing system PBS-950 has been created specifically for the BMD-3. It has a small weight (about 1500 kg), high reliability, easy operation and allows you to drop personnel in combat vehicles.
Serial production of BMD-3 began at the "Volgograd Tractor Plant" (VgTZ) in early 1990. In total, taking into account the prototypes and pre-production copies intended for military trials, 143 vehicles were built until 1997. The termination of the production of BMD-3 was due to the insolvency of the customer. Although the specialists of the factory design bureau, in cooperation with subcontractors and with the participation of the specialized institute of the Ministry of Defense, were working on the creation of an improved version of the BMD-3M and a number of special-purpose vehicles, it was not possible to complete what was started in full. In December 2002, the Volgograd Tractor Plant was split into 4 separate companies. In 2005, by the decision of the Arbitration Court of the Volgograd Region, the Volgograd Tractor Plant was declared bankrupt. According to the information provided in The Military Balance 2016, two years ago, the Russian armed forces had 10 BMD-3s. According to the same source, a number of BMD-3s are in service in Angola.
A number of special-purpose vehicles were created on the basis of the BMD-3. Perhaps the most famous and interesting was the 2S25 Sprut-SD self-propelled 125-mm anti-tank gun. The emergence of this self-propelled gun is associated with an increase in the protection of the frontal projection of tanks of a potential enemy and equipping them with dynamic protection. Experts predicted that the effectiveness of guided anti-tank missiles in the event of a massive introduction of optical-electronic countermeasures and active protection systems for tanks could sharply decrease. In addition, the cost of each new generation of ATGMs increased 5-8 times. Airborne units operating in isolation from the main forces required a highly mobile armored artillery unit capable of fighting modern tanks at all combat distances and destroying enemy field fortifications.
The creation of a new installation began in 1985, using the developments obtained in the design of experimental light tanks armed with 100-125 mm caliber guns. The chassis is a BMD-3 base extended by two rollers, with a hydropneumatic chassis of a new design, capable of changing the Sprut's ground clearance within a few seconds, and the suspension design gives the gun a high smoothness and cross-country ability.
The amphibious self-propelled gun has a classic tank layout. In the front of the vehicle there is a control compartment with a driver's workplace, then there is a fighting compartment with a gun turret, in which the commander and gunner are located, the engine compartment in the aft part. When marching, the gunner is to the left of the driver, and the commander is to the right.
Each crew member has individual observation devices operating in the "day-night" mode. The vehicle is equipped with a new fire control system, which includes a gunner's sighting system, a commander's combined sight combined with a laser rangefinder, and a set for targeting anti-tank guided missiles stabilized in two planes. The fire control system of the gun commander provides all-round observation of the terrain, the search for targets and the issuance of target designation to the gunner. On the outside of the tower, sensors are mounted that provide automatic input of corrections to the ballistic computer when firing.
The 125-mm smoothbore cannon 2A75, installed on the Sprut-SD JCS, was created on the basis of the 2A46 tank gun used to arm the main battle tanks: T-72, T-80 and T-90. The cannon is stabilized in two planes and is capable of firing any type of tank ammunition of 125 mm caliber, with separate-case loading. Since the self-propelled chassis is much lighter than the tank chassis, a new recoil device was installed to compensate for recoil when fired. This made it possible to abandon the use of a muzzle brake. The gun is equipped with a new ejector and a thermal insulation casing. The use of a conveyor-type automatic loader located behind the tower made it possible to abandon the loader and increased the rate of fire of the gun to 7 rds / min. The machine gun's ammo rack contains 22 shots, completely ready for use. In addition to armor-piercing sub-caliber and high-explosive fragmentation shells, the ammunition load includes anti-tank missiles 9M119M "Invar-M", launched through the barrel. Laser-guided ATGMs are capable of hitting enemy tanks at ranges of up to 5000 m. Armor penetration of the Invar-M ATGM is 800 mm of homogeneous armor after overcoming dynamic protection. The characteristics of an ATGM with an average flight speed of a laser-guided missile - more than 280 m / s, make it possible to use it to combat air targets. The angles of the gun pointing vertically: from -5 to + 15 °. The gun is paired with a 7, 62-mm PKT machine gun - 2,000 rounds of ammunition. In the rear part of the tower there are 8 mortars of the 902V "Tucha" smoke screen system.
The hull and turret of the artillery mount are made of aluminum armor alloy. It is possible to strengthen the protection of the frontal part with steel plates. After that, the armor is capable of holding 14.5mm armor-piercing bullets. The side armor protects against rifle-caliber bullets and light shrapnel.
The high specific power of the engine in combination with the hydropneumatic suspension and low specific ground pressure provide the CAO with good mobility. The car weighing 18 tons, equipped with a 2V-06-2S engine with a power of 510 hp, accelerates on the highway to 70 km / h. On a dirt road, the car is capable of moving at a speed of up to 45 km / h, the speed afloat is 9 km / h. The cruising range on the highway is up to 500 km, on the dirt road - 350 km. The self-propelled gun is capable of taking a rise of 35 °, a wall with a height of 0.8 m and a ditch with a width of 2.5 m.
Since the "Sprut" turned out to be heavier than the BMD-3, a new landing system was developed for the self-propelled gun. Initially, it was planned to use the parachute-jet P260, created using elements of the soft landing system of the descent spacecraft of the Soyuz type. However, the creation of this system coincided with the collapse of the USSR and the cessation of funding. In 1994, as an alternative, the development of a multi-dome parachute strapdown system with air depreciation was approved, which was maximally unified in terms of operating principles, assemblies and components with PBS-950 serial landing equipment for BMD-3. The parachute version of the landing equipment of the Sprut-SD JCS received the designation P260M. An early Il-76 military transport aircraft is capable of taking one aircraft for landing, and the modernized Il-76MD - two. ACS 2S25 can also be transported on the external sling of the Mi-26 helicopter.
In fact, the 2S25 Sprut-SD anti-tank airborne self-propelled artillery mount was ready for adoption in the mid-90s. This was hampered by the unavailability of the parachute landing system, which, in turn, could not be brought to mind due to the banal lack of funding. It took another 10 years for the customer to decide whether he needed a light anti-tank self-propelled gun capable of effectively countering the main battle tanks.
The official order of the Minister of Defense on the adoption of the 2S25 self-propelled anti-tank gun was issued on January 9, 2006. But the misadventures of the car did not end there. During the "Serdyukovschina" period, the serial production of the CAO was discontinued. According to Deputy Minister of Defense, Chief of Armaments of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation V. A. Popovkin, this decision was due to the fact that an airborne artillery installation of the Russian army is not needed due to the complexity of the development of conscripts by military personnel, low security and high cost. At the same time, it was proposed to purchase abroad or establish licensed production of the Italian wheeled tank destroyer B1 Centauro. In 2012-2014, two vehicles with 105-mm and 120-mm cannons were tested in Russia. During the tests, it turned out that with a mass of 24 tons in terms of security in the frontal projection, the Italian armored vehicle does not surpass the Sprut-SD. Also, there is no advantage in firepower, and in terms of cross-country ability on weak soils, the "Centaur" is seriously inferior to the Russian tracked CAO. The production of the B1 Centauro was completed in 2006, at the time of the termination of serial construction, the cost of one machine was € 1.6 million.
It is quite obvious that vehicles of the 2S25 Sprut-SD type cannot replace main battle tanks. However, airmobile amphibious self-propelled units of a light weight category, similar to tanks in their firepower, are necessary in modern conflicts for rapid reaction forces. Their presence in the battle formations of paratroopers and marines increases the strike potential in the offensive and stamina in the defense. According to The Military Balance 2016, as of January 2016, the Russian army had at least 36 2S25 Sprut-SD anti-tank self-propelled artillery mounts, which is much less than the required Airborne Forces and the Marines.
In 2015, information appeared about the creation of a new version of the CAO 2S25M "Sprut-SDM1". According to the information announced by the representative of the Volgograd Machine-Building Company, as part of the modernization of the vehicle, its firepower has been increased by installing a modern digital fire control system and introducing new, more effective ammunition into the ammunition load. The OMS includes: a commander's panoramic sight with optical, thermal and rangefinder channels, a combined gunner-operator's sight with optical, thermal, rangefinder channels and a laser missile control channel, as well as a target tracking machine. The upgraded version received control equipment for remote detonation of projectiles on the trajectory, a ballistic computer, as well as automated workplaces for the commander and gunner-operator. A remotely controlled module with a 7, 62 mm machine gun, similar to that used on the T-90M tank, has been introduced into the self-propelled gun's armament.
Thanks to the introduction of the software and hardware complex and the integration of the vehicle into the automated control system of the tactical level, command controllability in battle has been increased. The vehicle's mobility has increased due to borrowing from the BMD-4M engine, transmission, undercarriage assemblies, as well as the chassis information and control system. According to the information announced at the International Military-Technical Forum "Army-2016" in Kubinka, deliveries of serial Sprut-SDM1 CAO to the Russian Armed Forces should begin in 2018.
