The Tractor Plants Concern and the Russian Ministry of Defense have completed tests of a new unique infantry fighting vehicle with the working name BMP-3M Dragoon. This was reported by the Izvestia newspaper. The BMP-3, which because of its characteristics was once called the "Queen of the Infantry", despite its already thirty years of age, is still one of the most powerful combat vehicles in its class. At the same time, the designers are continuously continuing the process of improving it. A further development of the BMP-3M model was the BMP-3M "Dragoon" combat vehicle, which got its name from the design work, within which this modernization was carried out.
The Tractor Plants concern, which includes the Kurganmashzavod enterprise, which is directly engaged in the production of BMP-3 combat vehicles, told Izvestia journalists that the BMP-3M Dragoon with the UTD-32T engine is ready for serial production. production. At the same time, representatives of the concern declined to comment further.
BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle
The debut of "Dragoon" took place back in 2015 within the framework of the X international exhibition of arms, military equipment and ammunition Russia Arms EXPO 2015, which is held in Nizhny Tagil. BMP-3M "Dragoon" became one of the sensations of that exhibition along with BMP-3 "Derivation". By and large, the BMP-3M "Dragoon" is a completely new infantry fighting vehicle based on the BMP-3 chassis, the novelty should allow our country to retain its leadership in the international arms markets. It is worth noting that the BMP-3 is in sufficient demand in the world, this combat vehicle in various modifications is in service with Azerbaijan, Algeria, Venezuela, Indonesia, Cyprus, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and a number of other countries.
A feature of the deep modernization of the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle, which is the Dragoon variant, was the rearrangement of the vehicle and the location of the engine compartment (MTO) in the bow of the hull. In addition, the BMP-3M "Dragoon" boasts a variety of combat modules with a different set of weapons: standard for the BMP-3 - 100-mm gun-launcher 2A70 with 30-mm automatic cannon 2A72 and 7, 62-mm machine gun PKTM, variant with 57-mm automatic cannon and PKTM machine gun and a variant with a 125-mm 2A75 cannon and PKTM machine gun. In all likelihood, the main one will be an uninhabited combat module with an armament unit identical in composition to the conventional BMP-3 in service with the Russian army. At the same time, the new combat module received a slightly increased size compared to the turret of a classic vehicle. The reason was that in the new uninhabited module, weapons and ammunition were completely isolated from the crew of the combat vehicle and the transported assault force. Such an arrangement should significantly increase their chances of survival in the event of a detonation of ammunition when a vehicle is hit on the battlefield.
The full combat crew of the modernized BMP increased to 11 people, and the location in the bow of the MTO corps significantly increased its protection on the battlefield. In the nasal projection, the means of destruction of the enemy must penetrate not only the frontal armor of the hull, but also the engine itself. In addition, the placement of the landing force in the aft part of the combat vehicle and the location here of a folding ramp for the landing (motorized riflemen) with a door built into it made it possible to improve the conditions for landing and dismounting of servicemen, including while the combat vehicle was moving at low speed. The entire crew of the combat vehicle, consisting of the commander, driver and gunner-operator of weapons, is located in the control compartment, which is located in the bow of the BMP hull directly behind the MTO. All crew members sit next to each other shoulder to shoulder, with the driver's seat in the center. In connection with the new layout, two PKTM course machine guns were removed from the BMP hull.
BMP-3M "Dragoon"
In total, the BMP-3M "Dragoon" can take on board 8 paratroopers. Seats for two of them are located on the seats located behind the control compartment, in front of the turret ring and the fighting compartment. The units of the fighting compartment, located inside the BMP hull, are placed in a rectangular casing, on the sides of which small passages are left, they can be used by paratroopers sitting in the front seats behind the crew members of the combat vehicle. The entire aft part of the hull of the new BMP, which is located behind the turret shoulder, was given to the location of the landing. The dimensions of this compartment made it possible to place six seats here, three on each side of the combat vehicle. The seats are attached directly to the sides of the hull, the soldiers sit facing each other.
According to representatives of the Tractor Plants concern, the new BMP-3M Dragoon is distinguished by an improved level of armor protection, which is higher than that of conventional BMPs. Also, the new car is distinguished by an improved arrangement of the crew and troops (motorized rifles), it has more space, and people are simply more comfortable to sit, since the troop compartment has been completely rearranged. At the same time, mine protection was significantly strengthened on the machine. In order to reduce the impact on the paratroopers of the shock wave when the BMP was detonated on improvised explosive devices or mines, comfortable anti-traumatic chairs were mounted in it, which are equipped with five-point seat belts. At the same time, the space between the bottom of the hull of the combat vehicle and the floor of the troop compartment was filled with specialized anti-mine "sandwiches".
As noted above, the uninhabited combat module has a similar armament complex as on the conventional BMP-3, but the composition of its ammunition has undergone some changes. This is primarily due to the fact that the main part of the combat vehicle ammunition is now outside the manned compartment: these are all 30-mm ammunition intended for the 2A72 automatic cannon - 500 rounds in two bands (305 with fragmentation tracer and high-explosive fragmentation incendiary shells and another 195 with armor-piercing tracer shells); 22 rounds for the 100 mm 2A70 gun in the automatic loader, as well as three rounds with a guided missile. In addition, another 18 100-mm rounds for the gun and 5 guided missiles can be placed in a special packing located in the body of the combat vehicle. Ammunition 7, 62-mm machine gun PKTM is 2000 rounds.
The modernized version of the infantry fighting vehicle, created by Tractor Plants specialists, is equipped with a new diesel engine with a gas turbine supercharging with a capacity of 816 hp. Previous versions of BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles were equipped with engines ranging from 500 to 660 hp. respectively. The new UTD-32T four-stroke multi-fuel diesel engine with direct fuel injection allows the 21-ton combat vehicle to demonstrate outstanding power-to-weight characteristics - over 38 hp. per ton, no other BMP in the world has such an indicator today. This engine allows a seriously heavier combat vehicle (with its modernization, its weight increased by about three tons) to develop a speed of more than 70 km / h on the highway, while afloat the maximum speed is up to 10 km / h.
The chassis of the new BMP has also undergone changes. These changes are directly related to the processing of the components of the BMP-3M "Dragoon" hull. The upgraded infantry fighting vehicle still has 6 road wheels on each side. The BMP rollers have an individual torsion bar suspension, while the two front pairs of rollers and one aft pair are equipped with additional shock absorbers. For the correct distribution of the load on the undercarriage, the road wheels of the updated combat vehicle were unevenly placed. For example, the third, fourth and fifth pairs of rollers were pushed towards each other, so the gaps between the second and third and the last two pairs of rollers increased. The new engine layout also left its mark. In connection with the transfer of the MTO to the front of the hull, the drive wheels are also located here.
The fuel tanks, which in the classic version of the BMP-3 were located in the bow of the hull, in the modernized combat vehicle were made armored, explosion-proof, equipped with a self-tightening inner coating and transferred to the stern of the BMP. In addition to improving fire safety inside the combat vehicle, such a move by the designers made it possible to improve its longitudinal centering. Thanks to this improvement, there was no need to install a hydraulic shock absorber on the first suspension nodes.
At the same time, the deep modernization of the BMP-3 is not only a new layout and the use of a new engine and combat module. An essential role in the updated combat vehicle is played by the updated technical filling and equipment. The BMP-3M "Dragoon" now has a noise-immune all-day fire control system (FCS) "Vityaz". The new LMS, integrated into the upgraded vehicle, is, in essence, one of the elements of the digital avionics complex (CKBO) installed on the BMP, through which it is interfaced with a single information environment. The new Vityaz fire control system provides automatic tracking of not only ground, but also air targets, provides firing from closed positions, registers all parameters of the FCS and crew actions, in this regard, it is similar to the black boxes that are installed on airplanes. In addition, the new OMS ensures the integration of the BMP-3M "Dragoon" into a unified automated command and control system for units in combat (ACCS TZ).
The new fire control system provides full duplication of the gunner-operator's functions by the commander of the combat vehicle and vice versa, since both the commander and the gunner-operator of weapons have unified panoramic all-day sights Krechet at their workstations. " These sights have an independent two-plane stabilization of the field of view, with thermal and television channels, a laser rangefinder and a laser-beam ATGM control channel. The workplaces of the commander of the combat vehicle and the gunner were equipped with control panels and panel computers (PC) with modern shock-resistant LCD monitors, built-in automatic target tracking (ASTs) at each workplace. The possibility of independent work of "Krechetov" and their complete identity increase the combat capabilities of the vehicle during its operation, including on the battlefield. Even if one of them fails, the combat capabilities of the BMP-3M "Dragoon" will not suffer.
PCs at the commander's and gunner's workplaces provide processing of television and thermal imaging information from the Krechet sight, automatic tracking of targets, as well as displaying an electronic map of the area and interacting with the subunit combat control system. The automatic target tracking system implemented in the LMS can significantly increase the accuracy of target tracking in comparison with a person up to 8 times, and also provides electronic stabilization of the image displayed on the screens of the crew workstations. Thanks to the inclusion of the modernized BMP Vityaz JMS into the armament complex, the developers managed to reduce the time required for the preparation and firing of the first shot, thereby reducing the time required to complete the firing mission. In practice, this means that the crew of the BMP-3M "Dragoon" with a high degree of probability will be able to detect and hit the target before the enemy himself can hit the Russian BMP.
Also in the FCS "Vityaz" a new digital two-plane weapon stabilizer with a built-in ballistic computer and automatic drift compensation was implemented. A feature of this fire control system and a kind of "trick" of the modernized infantry fighting vehicle is that the armament complex can also be controlled from a remote control panel. Thanks to such a solution, for example, during hostilities in defense, the crew can leave the BMP and position themselves at a distance from it in some kind of shelter. In fact, "Vityaz" allows you to get as close as possible to the implementation of the concept of unmanned remote combat use of an infantry fighting vehicle.
American analysts from the research corporation RAND have included the new BMP-3M "Dragoon" in the list of the four most powerful BMPs on the planet. For example, in terms of specific engine power, the Russian novelty surpasses all foreign-made infantry fighting vehicles. The American BMP M2 Bradley, depending on the modification, is equipped with Cummins VTA-903T500 engines with a power of 500 to 660 hp. The French wheeled BMP VBCI has a Renault D12D engine with 550 hp, the Italian VCC-80 Dardo BMP has a Fiat 6V MTCA turbodiesel with 512 hp. Also, American experts especially highlight the maneuverability, increased firepower and buoyancy of a Russian-made infantry fighting vehicle.
It is curious that on the same day, when the domestic media reported on the completion of preliminary tests of the modernized BMP Dragoon, the publishing house Jane's 360, citing the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), announced that already in December 2017, the units of the US Army in Europe will receive the first Stryker armored personnel carriers armed with 30-mm automatic cannons. These combat vehicles received the XM1296 index and the name Dragoon (Dragoon). The armament complex of this combat vehicle, which, in fact, can be considered a wheeled infantry fighting vehicle, was mounted in an uninhabited MC-RCT turret. This tower is manufactured by the Norwegian company Kongsberg. Unlike the American "Dragoon", its Russian namesake can fire not only from a 30-mm automatic cannon with direct fire, but from a 100-mm gun not only with direct fire, but also from closed positions at a distance of up to 7 km. effectively hit enemy armored targets with an ATGM at a distance of up to 6 km.
