Armor sheds weight
Flight constraints for military transport aviation cargo compartments and existing parachute systems drive strict weight and size standards when equipment is designed for airborne forces. As a result, the combat vehicles showcased fall into a light armored category, featuring aluminum hulls that protect against bullets and shrapnel. Yet even modest protection is better than none.
There are also client-specific requirements. For autonomous operations behind enemy lines, airborne forces favor well armed, roomy, and adaptable airborne tracked vehicles. A generous power reserve, adjustable ground clearance, and amphibious capability further enhance their versatility.
BMD-4M: weapons as a focus
The winged infantry air combat vehicle is an analogue of a land based infantry fighting vehicle and is produced by Kurganmashzavod. It has been in service since 2016.
It aligns closely with the BMP-3M but remains lighter and shorter with a chassis that uses five rollers instead of six. It is tailored to the tasks of airborne forces, notably air landings by parachute, parachute jet, or other landing methods.
The crew consists of three and it can carry five paratroopers, an increase from seven carried by the BMP-3M.
The powerplant is a 500 horsepower UTD-29 diesel engine paired with a semi automatic gearbox.
A hydropneumatic suspension with variable ground clearance is installed. Operational ground clearance sits at 450 mm and can be increased to 530 mm or reduced to 130 mm.
The vehicle is mobile, fast, and agile, with a range of 500 kilometers and the ability to swim using water jets at speeds around 10 km/h in waves up to moderate intensity.
The principal advantage lies in the weaponry. The Bakhcha U turret module designed by the Tula Instrument Design Bureau houses an automatic 100 mm gun with a 2A70 launcher, a 30 mm 2A72 rapid fire gun, and a PKTM 7.62 mm machine gun.
One loader holds 34 rounds for the main caliber with a range up to 7 km, and four Arkan anti tank guided missiles with tandem warheads capable of penetrating armor up to 750 mm, with a range up to 5.5 km. The 2A72 cannon delivers ground targets up to 4 km. Ammunition types include high explosive fragmentation incendiaries, fragmentation tracer, armor piercing tracer, and sub caliber armor piercing rounds with enhanced penetration. The gun uses a dual feed system with automated and manual options.
The BMD-4M incorporates an effective fire control system enabling day and night engagement from fixed positions or on the move. The system includes a ballistic computer, a laser rangefinder, a thermal imaging sight, a target tracking unit, and a panoramic thermal imaging sight for the commander. It offers full duplication of commander firing across all weapon types.
BTR-MDM Shell: more paratroopers, more payload
This machine serves as a hover-capable armored personnel carrier designed for airborne deployments and shares the same chassis and powerplant as the BMD-4M. The key difference is the removal of the weapon tower in favor of additional seating space.
The shell features a cutting type aluminum armor and is powered by the multi fuel diesel UTD-29 engine.
Its undercarriage uses a variable ground clearance with five wheels on each side and pneumohydro actuators, allowing ground clearance adjustments as needed.
Mixing and matching seating enables pockets for paratroopers along the sides of three double rows of seats that can fold away to create a large cargo area. In addition to the paratrooper seats, two seats are reserved for crew to enter the vehicle and then transfer to standard seating once on the move.
Ammunition boxes, fuel drums, and other gear are secured with straps, while stretchers can be attached along the sides to accommodate wounded personnel. The interior enables a driver, a commander, and another parachutist to operate, resulting in a capacity for two crew members and thirteen paratroopers or up to two tons of cargo.
For airborne troops, Shell serves as transport, a truck, and an ambulance. It is outfitted with an external air purification system plus a filter ventilation unit. While its fire support capabilities are not as robust as those on the BMD-4M, it carries two 7.62 mm machine guns, one on a remote controlled mount and another in a fixed position on the roof near the commander’s hatch.
The Shell’s driver controls resemble the BMD-4M, featuring a steering wheel instead of a column and a four speed semi automatic transmission lever nearby. The two vehicles complement one another, offering a combination of payload, speed, and fire support that benefits airborne operations.
Nona-SM: a single vehicle replacing multiple roles
The 2S9-1M Nona SM demonstrates the idea of combining the fire support roles of a self propelled gun, a towed howitzer, and a mortar into one vehicle. Its chassis is based on the BTR D tracked armored personnel carrier originally designed around the BMP 1.
The vehicle uses an aluminum hull and a hydropneumatic suspension with navigable propulsion. A five speed manual transmission is paired with a five cylinder engine of 5D20 design.
Weighing about 8.8 tons, the Nona SM is compact enough to suit airborne assault missions. Its turret holds a rifled 120 mm semi automatic gun, the 2A51M, a solution that blends gun, howitzer, and mortar capabilities in one system. The electronic and pneumatic charge delivery system supports high elevation angles and can fire at a rate of up to ten rounds per minute.
Range depends on the ammunition used, and a wide variety of rounds have been developed specifically for this weapon.
Beyond ground targets, the Nona SM can engage water obstacles and support paratroopers with explosive, incendiary, fragmentation, and thermobaric rounds, with ranges spanning from several hundred meters to over eight kilometers depending on the type. The system can also launch foreign shells and mines, enabling paratroopers to access enemy stockpiles behind the lines.
Airborne combat vehicle specifications
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BMD-4M |
BTR-MDM shell |
Nona-SM 2S9–1M |
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Total information | |||
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Dimensions, mm: length/width/height |
6100/3150/2227 |
6085/3150/2630 |
6020/2630/2300 |
|
Ground clearance, mm |
variable 130 – 530 |
changeable 130-530 |
variable 100-450 |
|
Number of seats: crew + troops, people |
3+4 (5) |
2+13 |
4 |
|
Weight (kg |
14000 |
13200 |
8800 |
|
Maximum speed, km/h floating, km/h |
70 10 |
70 10 |
60 9 |
|
Power reserve, km: through the highway |
500 |
500 |
500 |
|
engine |
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Type |
diesel multi fuel |
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|
Fashion model |
UTD-29 |
UTD-29 |
5D20 |
|
Power, horsepower |
500 |
500 |
240 |
|
delay |
|||
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hydropneumatic |
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Booking |
|||
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rolled aluminum armor |
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armament | |||
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type / caliber, mm |
gun launcher 2A70/100, automatic gun 2A72/30, machine gun PKTM / 7.62 |
2 machine guns (remote controlled and heading) PKTM/7.62 |
gun-howitzer mortar 2A51M / 120mm |
|
ammunition load |
34 shots + 4 ATGMs, 500 grenades, 2000 rounds |
4000 ink cartridges |
40 shots |
Photo: Vadim Kryuchkov and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation