In accordance with the Decision taken by the Russian Federation's Government on 31 December 2004, the military units will be gradually equipped with BMD-4 airborne combat vehicles starting from the year 2005.
The first ten vehicles are planned to be delivered in the first half of the year to the training military units, which will be the first to master the new vehicles.
Later on, the BMD-4s will be delivered to combat military units. The BMD-4 will be used as a basic platform for development of a family of amphibious airborne combat vehicles that can be dropped from an aircraft with a parachute. As to its firepower, protection and mobility, the BMD-4 has no match in the world among the vehicles in the weight range of 12.5 to 18 tonnes.
The BMD-4 is fitted with a turret armed with two guns – 30 mm and 100 mm. The turret is similar in design to that of the BMP-3. When the vehicle is dropped from an aircraft with a parachute, the crew don't have to leave it. This considerably shortens into-the-action time once the vehicle has landed.
Sergyi Wey
15.02.2005