BMD-3 Airborne Combat Vehicle (Russia) KEY RECOGNITION FEATURES • Pointed nose with horizontal hull top extending to rear of hull, three hatches in hull top at the front, turret (as fitted to BMP-2) in the centre, louvres in hull top either side, vertical hull rear • Turret has long barreled 30 mm cannon that overhangs front of vehicle, hull sides are almost vertical • Suspension either side consists of five road wheels with idler at the front, drive sprocket at the rear and four track return rollers
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SPECIFICATIONS
DEVELOPMENT
Crew: Armament:
The BMD-3 has been developed as the follow-on to the earlier BMD-1 and BMD-2 airborne combat vehicles with the BMD-3 being larger and much heavier. Production commenced in 1989 and so far it has been identified only in service with Russian airborne units. The driver is seated in the front of the hull in the centre with another person either side. Mounted in the left side of the hull is a 30 mm AG-17 automatic grenade launcher while in the right side is mounted a 5.45 mm RPKS machine gun. The two man power operated turret is mounted in the centre of the forward part of the hull and is the same as that fitted to the BMP-2 ICVand armed with a 30mm 2A42 cannon with a 7.62mm machine gun mounted coaxial. Turret traverse is 360 degrees with weapon elevation from -5 to +75 degrees. Mounted on the turret roof is a launcher for the AT-'4 or AT-5 ATGW. An unusual feature of the BMD-3 is is hydropneumatic suspension system which allows the ground clearance to be varied from 150mm to 530mm, normal ground clearance is 450 mm. The standard tracks are 320mm wide but these can be replaced by wider 480mm tracks. The BMD-3 is fully amphibious being propelled in the water at a speed of 10km/h by two waterjets mounted at the rear of the hull. Before entering the water a trim vain is erected at the front of the hull and the bilge pumps are switched on.
2+5 1 x 30mm cannon, 1 x 7.62mm MG (coaxial), 1 x AT-4/ AT-5 ATGW launcher, 1 x 7.62mm MG (bow), 1 x 40mm grenade launcher (bow), 1 x 5.45mm MG (bow) 860 x 30mm, 2000 x 7.62mm, Ammunition: 2160 x 5.45mm, 551 x 30mm grenade, 4 x ATGW, 2 x 3 smoke grenade launchers j_enc[thj__ 6.36m 3.134m Width: 2.170m Heic[ht:__ Ground clearance: 0.15 to 0.53m 13 200kg Weight, combat: Power-to-weight ratio: _34jip/tonne Engine: 2V-06 water-cooled diesel
Maximum road speed: Maximum road range: Fuel capacity: Fording: Vertical obstacle: Trench: Gradient: Side slope: Armour: Armour type: NBC: Night vision equipment:
71km/h 500km 450I Amphibious 0.8m (estimate) 1.8m (estimate) 60% 30% Classified Aluminium Yes Yes
VARIANTS There are no known variants but it is assumed that specialised versions of the BMP-3 are under development along similar lines to those of the BMD-1 and BMD-2.
