On January 23, 1976, at the parachute track of the 76th Guards Airborne Division Kislovo, for the first time in the world, military equipment and crew were dropped from an aircraft using parachute jet system, called "Reactavr". The crew included A.V. Margelov and L.I. Shcherbakov.
Landing of the BMD-1 on the Reaktavr PRS.
Acceptance at airborne weapons in the same 1976, this parachute-jet system made it possible to reduce the time of gathering personnel and equipment at the landing site after landing.
In practice it looks like this. During experimental exercises in 1983, eight objects with Reaktavr systems were landed.
From the moment the first vehicle left the plane to the collection of all eight vehicles at a distance of 1.5 kilometers from the landing site, only 12-15 minutes passed, whereas with separate landing of crews and equipment, this would have taken 35-45 minutes.
By 1976, the USSR had already developed the Centaur multi-dome parachute-platform system, which made it possible to parachute the crew inside the BMD-1 airborne combat vehicle, first tested on January 5, 1073.
Usually, the crew leaves the aircraft after their combat vehicles, observing their movement in flight. However, in this case, after landing, the paratroopers find themselves scattered within a radius of several kilometers from the vehicle and, accordingly, spend a lot of time searching for it and preparing for movement. It was the full awareness of the importance of quickly preparing a vehicle for the start of hostilities that prompted in the 70s the commander of the USSR Airborne Forces, Army General V.F. Margelov, to identify a task of paramount importance - to create a method of joint landing of equipment with a crew.
After many experiments, the first joint landing took place in 1973 using a system called “Centaur”. The action of the system was as follows: combat vehicle The landing force was equipped with two Kazbek-type cosmonaut seats designed by the chief designer of the Zvezda plant, Guy Ilyich Severin, Hero Socialist Labor, but in a simplified version - “Kazbek-D” (it was not possible to install shock absorbers in the headrest area, and we also had to abandon the individual casting of the inside of the chair, like the astronauts).
The landing was carried out on the P-7 parachute platform. The result of the reset proved that the use of this method allows not only to save the lives of paratroopers, but also their combat readiness.
However, preparation for landing BMD on a parachute platform with a multi-dome system (ISS) required a lot of time and material resources, especially for mass landings that were planned to be used in the “big” war. The landing platforms, already loaded with combat vehicles, were towed to the airfield on wheels from their deployment sites by trucks at speeds of up to 10 km/h, but it was still necessary to accurately “roll” the platform to the aircraft, which was done manually.
The multi-dome system was transported separately by additional vehicles, mounted on a vehicle directly near the aircraft, and only then the resulting monocargo was launched into the aircraft’s cargo compartment using a hoist. Transportation to the airfield required good roads, since it was impossible to tow platforms with military equipment off-road. Preparation of platforms for landing, loading and securing military equipment on them, concentration to aircraft parking areas, installation; parachute system, loading onto aircraft took up to 15–18 hours (according to the experience of regimental exercises). This had a negative impact on the combat readiness and operational use of airborne assault forces.
The design of the parachute-rocket systems (PRS) made it possible to store the BMD-1 in parks with landing equipment mounted on them in the “stowed” position. The vehicles advanced to the waiting areas for loading onto the plane under their own power, and the method of placing landing equipment on them made it possible to march over rough terrain over a distance of up to 500 kilometers and, if necessary, even fire from standard weapons. On site, the crew could immediately begin transferring the PRS to the “landing” position, which took no more than 30 minutes. Then the BMD-1 moved under its own power to be loaded into the aircraft (strapless parachute landing systems with the same advantages appeared later). Thus, the time from leaving the park to loading onto the plane was significantly reduced.
The landing itself was also accelerated, since the rate of reduction of the load on the PRS reached 20–25 m/s (about 3 times higher than on the parachute-platform system), which made the system practically invulnerable to enemy fire from the ground. Near the ground, due to the operation of the braking propulsion system, which consisted of three soft-landing jet engines, the speed was reduced to almost zero. This increased the landing accuracy. For shock absorption during landing, two foam shock-absorbing bars were installed under the bottom of the combat vehicle.
The PRS mounted on the BMD-1 made up a smaller share of the landing monocargo, both in weight and in size, which generally made it possible to land more cargo in one air echelon. In addition, the combat vehicle was parachuted with an increased amount of ammunition and fuel. After landing, the PRS did not leave huge sheets of parachutes around the vehicle - a “white swamp”, which often prevented it from starting to move - the system had only one dome with an area of 540 square meters, the Centaur landed on five domes of 760 square meters each.
The Reactavr testers are A.V. Margelov and L.I. Shcherbakov.
Placing a crew member in a Kazbek-D seat in the BMD-1 hull during landing.
From the memoirs of Hero of Russia Alexander Vasilyevich Margelov, one of the creators of the “Centaur” and “Reactaur”, the first tester of these systems:
“As for the Reactavr test, most of all the specialists were concerned about the reliability of the parachute-reactive system. Its calculated reliability was 0.95, but after all the modifications and upgrades there were only 47 practical drops. But this result was considered quite good, taking into account the significant advantages of the system in combat use compared to parachute-platform means...
Commander Margelov entrusted this experiment to two volunteers - me and Lieutenant Colonel Shcherbakov. I was appointed crew commander. Leonid, who knew the combat vehicle very well, was appointed driver. Upon arrival at the 76th Guards Chernigov Airborne Division, we were introduced to our backups - conscript guards paratroopers. There were three of them left out of the six selected - half of them suddenly suffered from poor health... The guys actively, with all their hearts, took part in all the preparatory work: when laying the parachute system, equipping the engines with powder bombs, mooring the PRS to the combat vehicle.
Deputy Chairman of the Scientific and Technical Committee Vitaly Pariysky boarded the plane (it coincided that the same AN-12B with the same crew as during the first experiment with the Centaur arrived for landing), he controlled our landing in the Kazbek- D", and then communicated between the crew and the ground through the pilots.
It didn’t take long to fly; after declaring two minutes of readiness, the crew switched to direct communication with the ground. And again a coincidence - the communication was again prepared by Colonel B.G. Zhukov, and, as during the landing in the Centaur, it turned out to be one-way. Only this time the “reactaurs” heard “ground”, but they were not heard... Zhukov briefly, but in detail, during a few seconds of descent, reported to the crew about the operation of the parachute system - everything is fine! The pilot chute removed the complex from the plane - again the “pendulum” - moments of descent on the stabilizing parachute - the main canopy opened, two telescopic probes were deposited at the prescribed length. The moment they touched the ground, the soft landing engines fired: explosion, gases, smoke! Pariysky, who had jumped after the complex, landed nearby.
To conduct the experiment, a landing site was specially chosen where there was more snow. However, the complex was applied to a compacted ice road, so we felt a significant shock overload. At the moment of impact with the ground, the connection started working - just at this time Shcherbakov congratulated me on a safe landing.
The car rushed across the landing site. The crew completed all driving and aimed fire tasks. Having approached the podium, he reported to the commander about the completion of the task. After congratulations, the crew was “captured” by doctors. Our body temperature turned out to be elevated, and so did our blood pressure. Leonid felt nauseous, his head was spinning, all his bones ached, he could not even drink the beaker of alcohol offered by a serious doctor. But within an hour, vital parameters returned to normal. Leonid Ivanovich believes that this landing significantly “damaged” his spine. A few years later he even had surgery on his vertebra. I didn’t feel any deterioration in my health after the experiment.”
The Airborne Forces are armed with the following parachute-jet systems of the following modifications:
parachute-jet system PRSM-915 (for BMD-1);
parachute-jet system;
parachute-jet system PRSM-916 (for BMD-2);
parachute-rocket system PRSM-926 (for 2S9 “NONA”).
For example, here are the characteristics of PRSM-925 (for BTR-D):
flight weight of the vehicle with PRSM-925, 8000–8800 kg;
landing height above the landing site, 500–1500 m;
landing site height above sea level, up to 2500 m;
vertical speed of descent on the main parachute at air temperature near the ground from -50 to +50 degrees, 23 m/s;
charge and air temperature range. 0С from -50 to +50;
nominal landing speed of the machine, 3.5-5.5 m/s;
the maximum (allowable when dropping) wind speed at the ground is up to 10 m/s.
Scheme of landing the BTR-D on the Reaktavr ARS.
Landing of a BMD-2 with personnel during the exercises of the 76th Guards Air Assault Division of the Airborne Forces, 2010 © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation/TASS
No army in the world can still repeat this. Landing of military equipment with the crew inside is a very dangerous and complex process, each stage of which is described in great detail in instructions and special documents. Even experienced paratroopers of the Airborne Forces (Airborne Forces) undergo a special training course, and serious selection is carried out based on medical criteria. The landing crew also personally prepares the combat vehicle, stows the parachute canopies, and checks the functionality of all components and the reliability of the fastenings.
“I think that this can be compared to a flight into space,” admitted the head trainer of the Russian Armed Forces in parachuting, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Ivanov. It was for him in early spring In 2010, I had the opportunity to be responsible for the training of BMD-2 crews and personally parachute from an Il-76 aircraft inside an airborne combat vehicle.
The development of a new combat vehicle - “object 915” - began in 1965 at the Volgograd Design Bureau headed by I.V. Gavalov tractor plant(VgTZ). The designers had to create a high-speed, lightly armored, tracked, amphibious airborne combat vehicle with combat capabilities similar to the ground-based BMP-1 that was being developed at that time. The initial plan provided for the creation of a conventional landing unit, consisting of the vehicle itself, the MKS-5-128R multi-dome parachute system and the P-7 serial landing platform. The platform was intended to roll the block into the plane, ensure its exit from the plane using a pilot chute, and cushion the landing. However, the required landing mass, determined by the carrying capacity of the An-12 aircraft for a given number of simultaneously loaded combat vehicles, did not allow the creation of a vehicle with a corresponding TTZ dead weight. In order to ultimately meet the weight limit, the idea was proposed to use a hydropneumatic suspension with variable ground clearance on the car. This implied the possibility of implementing the following scheme: a block (a machine with a parachute system) independently enters the plane, then lowers to the bottom and is moored for the duration of the flight; when ejected, the block on the bottom moves along the roller conveyor of the aircraft's cargo deck and leaves the side. In addition, it was assumed that during the flight to the ground, the vehicle's road wheels would automatically lower to maximum ground clearance. Then the suspension, brought into working condition, will play the role of a shock absorber upon landing. However, it soon became clear that such a decision would lead to unpredictable bouncing of the car after landing and a possible capsize. In this case, the car inevitably had to become entangled in the lines of the parachute system. This problem was solved with the help of special disposable shock-absorbing skis, but the road wheels had to be fixed during the landing in a special upper position “D”, right up to the unmooring operation, which was carried out on the ground.
In 1969, the airborne combat vehicle “Object 915” was adopted by the airborne troops Soviet army under the designation BMD-1. Since 1968, it has been mass-produced at VgTZ.
1 and 21 - inserts with embrasures; 2 - upper frontal sheet; 3 - base of the driver's hatch; 4 and 6 - roof sheets; 5 - ring; 7 and 8 - stops for installing the platform of the parachute-jet system; 9,14 and 20 - rear, middle and front upper side sheets; 10 - ring for installing and fastening the final drive; 11 - hatch for ball mounting for AKMS assault rifle; 12 - hole for supporting the air spring; 13 - holes for the axis of the support roller; 15 - balancer support bracket; 16 - lower side sheet; 17 - balancer bracket; 18 - hole for the guide wheel crank bracket; 19 - towing hook; 22 - lower frontal sheet; 23 - hinge doors of the wave-reflective shield
1 - hinge flaps of the wave-reflective shield; 2 - vehicle commander’s hatch; 3 - clip for observation device; 4 - hole for the TNPP-220 device; 5 - machine gunner's hatch; 6 - aft hatch cover; 7 - hole for installing the supercharger valves of the collective protection system; 8 - hole for the MK-4s device; 9 - removable engine air intake cover; 10 and 27 - hatches for access to the filling necks of fuel tanks; 11 and 24 - removable covers for access to water and oil pipelines; 12 and 16 - removable roof sheets for access to the power compartment; 13 - protective grille with mesh; 14 - outlet of the drain pipe; 15 - rear inclined sheet; 17 - hole for water flow pipe; 18 - hole for installing the water jet damper glass; 19 - towing device; 20 - stern sheet; 21 - bracket for installing a removable ski mounting bracket; 22 - pad (breaker fist); 23 - hatch for ball mounting for AKMS assault rifle; 25 - hole for antenna input cup; 26 - hatch for access to the oil tank filler neck; 28 - hatch for access to the filling neck of the cooling system; 29 - hinge flaps for parachute systems; 30 - hole for the exhaust fan valve; 31 - hole for installing VZU equipment PRHR
The BMD-1 has a layout layout that is classic for tanks, but unusual for infantry fighting vehicles: the fighting compartment is located in the middle part of the hull, and the engine compartment is in the rear. The hull is welded from relatively thin armor plates - for the first time in the practice of Soviet mechanical engineering, aluminum armor was used. This made the car much lighter, but at the expense of security. The armor could only protect the crew from fire small arms 7.62 mm caliber and shell fragments. The upper frontal plate is very strongly inclined to the vertical - 78°, the angle of inclination of the lower one is much less and is 50°. This decision was dictated by the desire to increase the volume of internal space, as well as the buoyancy of the machine. The wave-reflective shield, which lies on the front frontal plate when driving on land, serves as additional protection. The body in the bow narrows, its cross-section is T-shaped with developed fender niches. Tower - welded from steel armor, borrowed from the BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle. Its frontal parts protect against 12.7 mm armor-piercing bullets.
In the front part of the body along the axis of the machine there is workplace driver mechanic. To enter and exit the car, it has an individual hatch, the cover of which lifts and slides to the right. While driving the car, the driver can observe the terrain in a 60° sector using three prismatic observation devices TNPO-170. To monitor the movement of the BMD afloat, instead of the middle TNPO-170 device, the TNP-350B device with increased periscope is installed. To drive a car at night, instead of the average daytime observation device, a night-time non-illuminated binocular observation device TVNE-4 is installed. To the left of the driver is the seat of the BMD commander, who enters and exits the vehicle through his hatch. The commander is equipped with a heated periscope observation device - the TNPP-220 sight, in which the sight arm has a 1.5-fold magnification and a field of view angle of 10°, and the observation arm has viewing angles of 21° vertically and 87° horizontally. The same TNPP-220 device is installed on the machine gunner sitting to the right of the driver. At night, the commander uses the TVNE-4 device. The paratroopers, located behind the fighting compartment at the aft partition of the MTO, use two prismatic heated devices TNPO-170 and a periscopic device MK-4S (in the aft hatch).
1 - bracket for connecting the pilot chute lock; 2 - bracket for attaching shock-absorbing skis; 3 - pad for attaching the PRS probe; 4 - emphasis for shock-absorbing skis; 5 - hole for releasing gases from the heater boiler; 6 - hatch for draining oil from the tank; 7 - protective grille of the water jet; 8 - brackets for fastening the PRS probe; 9 - hatch for access to the pressure reducing valve of the engine oil pump; 10 - hatch for draining oil from the gearbox; 11 - grip for installing removable brackets for fastening shock-absorbing skis; 12 - rear towing hook; 13 - hatch for draining oil from the engine; 14 - hatch for draining fuel from tanks; 15 - hole for draining coolant; 16 - hatch for access to the tension mechanism of the mechanized ammunition conveyor
In the middle part of the hull there is a fighting compartment with a single-seat turret, borrowed from the BMP-1, inside which there is a gunner's seat. It serves a 73 mm caliber 2A28 Grom semi-automatic smoothbore gun with concentrically located recoil devices and a coaxial 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. The gun has a wedge breech and a sector lifting mechanism. The height of the firing line is from 1245 to 1595 mm, depending on the established ground clearance. Direct shot range at a target 2 m high is 765 m. The longest sighting range is 1300 m. Combat rate of fire is 6 - 7 rounds/min. Ammunition for the gun - 40 PG-15V rounds with cumulative anti-tank grenades is located in a mechanized (conveyor) stowage located around the circumference of the turret on a rotating platform, as in the BMP-1. Since one of the most important requirements for the vehicle was its low weight, the designers had to simplify (compared to the BMP-1) the automatic loader. The conveyor delivered the projectile selected by the gunner to the loading point, after which the gunner had to manually carry it and insert it into the breech. The simultaneous solution of such tasks as searching for targets, aiming a gun, loading it and firing is quite a complex problem for one person, so the psychophysical data of the gunner noticeably deteriorated depending on the duration of hostilities and the number of shots fired. The turret's armament was supplemented launcher anti-tank guided missiles - ATGM (according to the then terminology: missiles - ATGM) 9M14M "Malyutka", access to which is through a special hatch in the roof. The rocket is controlled through the wires of a single-channel system, in which control forces in the pitch and heading planes are created by one executive body. Division of control into two mutual perpendicular to planes occurs due to the forced rotation of the rocket in flight at a frequency of 8.5 rpm. In total, the vehicle carries three ATGMs (two in the turret and one in the hull) and 2,000 rounds of ammunition for the coaxial machine gun. The latter are loaded into belts, which are placed in two magazines of 1000 rounds each, placed in a cartridge-link collector. After installing the magazines in place, the tapes are connected to each other by a cartridge.
1 - commander's hatch cover; 2 - stopper; 3 and 16 - screens; 4 - driver's hatch cover; 5 - machine gunner hatch cover; 6 - belt handle; 7 and 15 - hinge doors; 8 - hole for observation device; 9 - hole for the ball device; 10 - aft hatch cover; 11 - bracket; 12 - torsion bar; 13 - finger; 14 - locking screw; 17 - emphasis; 18 - loop
Like the BMP-1, the turret's armament is not stabilized. Guidance in the horizontal and vertical planes is carried out using electric drives. If they fail, the gunner can use a manual drive.
To observe the terrain and fire, the gunner has at his disposal a combined (day and unilluminated night) monocular periscope sight 1PN22M1.
1 - 73 mm smoothbore gun; 2 - driver’s seat; 3 - battery; 4 - distribution panel; 5 - 7.62 mm machine gun, coaxial with a gun; 6 - machine gunner's seat; 7 - supercharger of the collective protection system; 8,9 and 31 - shooters' seats; 10 - ball mount for firing from machine guns; 11 - relay regulator; 12 - manual hydraulic pump; 13 - generator blowing fan; 14 - hydraulic pump drive clutch; 15 - removable engine air intake cover; 16 - filler neck of the right lower fuel tank; 17.28 - fuel tanks; 18 - hydraulic system reservoir; 19 - water radiator; 20 - protective cover over the outlet valve of the sump pump; 21 - water pump; 22 - rear marker light; 23 - protective grille with mesh; 24 - water pipe; 25 - antenna input; 26 - power block; 27 - oil tank assembled with the heater boiler; 29 - coarse fuel filter; 30 - hydraulic pump; 32 - rotating tower; 33 - gunner-operator seat; 34 - exhaust fan; 35 - sight; 36 - commander's seat; 37 - PRHR sensor; 38 - power supply; 39 - PRHR control panel; 40 - switching block; 41 - apparatus A-1 tank intercom; 42 - installation of a 7.62 mm machine gun; 43 - box for machine gun belt; 44 - radio station; 45 - power supply unit for direction indicator; 46 - air cylinder
1 - gyro-compass; 2 - radio power supply; 3 - machine gun installation; 4 - driver's seat; 5 - radio station; 6 - observation device with a built-in sighting tube; 7 - central shield of the driver; 8 - driver's hatch; 9 - driver observation devices; 10 - power supply unit for the driver’s night observation device; 11 - battery; 12 - magazine box; 13 - battery switch; 14 - valve-reducer of the engine air intake system
The sight embrasure is located on the left side of the turret roof in front of the gunner's hatch. In night mode, the visibility range depends on the background of the area, the transparency of the atmosphere and the amount of natural light and averages 400 m. The field of view angle is 6°, the magnification factor is 6.7. In daytime mode, the sight has a 6x magnification and a field of view of 15°. In the eyepiece to the right of the aiming reticle there is a rangefinder scale designed for a target with a height of 2.7 m. In addition to the sight, the gunner uses four TNPO-170 periscopic devices to monitor the terrain.
In the embrasures along the edges of the frontal part of the hull, two PKT machine guns are installed in ball bearings. The vehicle commander and machine gunner fire from them. The ammunition load of each machine gun consists of 1000 rounds, placed in four standard boxes. The maximum effective firing range using the TNPP-220 sight is 800 - 1000 m.
In the middle part of the vehicle's hull, on both sides and in the aft hatch cover, there is one ball mount for firing from AKMS assault rifles. Ball installations located on the sides are closed by armored flaps, which are opened manually from the shooters' workplaces.
The rear part of the hull houses the engine-transmission compartment, in which a 6-cylinder V-shaped four-stroke liquid-cooled 5D20 compressor-free diesel engine is installed, developing a power of 240 hp. (176 kW) at 2400 rpm. Taking into account the small weight of the machine - only 6700 kg - this gives a very high value specific power - 32 hp/t, which, in turn, allows the vehicle to reach a maximum speed of more than 60 km/h. Engine displacement - 15,900 cm 3, weight - 665 kg. Power is taken from the engine to the transmission on the flywheel side, and to the hydraulic pump drive - HLU-39 on the opposite side.
Fuel - diesel DL, DZ or YES. The total capacity of fuel tanks is 280 l. Fuel is supplied using a six-piston block pump high pressure.
A special feature of the air supply system is the air intake device, which consists of two kinematically connected valves that alternately block the air intake from outside the vehicle and from the fighting compartment, which increases the safety of movement afloat. The air intake from the engine is heated.
The cooling system is ejection and also provides dust extraction from the air cleaner and ventilation of the MTO. It includes a calorifier-type heater for heating the fighting compartment.
1 - embrasure cheek; 2 - gun embrasure; 3 - holes for wedges; 4 - cutout for a machine gun; 5 - hatch for installing 9M14M; 6 - eye; 7 - hole for fan; 8 - operator's hatch; 9 - ring; 10 - tower roof; 11 - clips for surveillance devices; 12 - hole for mounting a sight
1 - sleeve link collector; 2 - roller; 3 - sleeve-link collector cover; 4 - PKT store; 5 - lock; 6 - rib; 7 - lifting mechanism; 8 - gun 2A28; 9 - launch bracket; 10 - mounting bracket for the lifting mechanism; 11 - sector; 12 - eccentric handle; 13 - bracket; 14 - observation device; 15 - guide; 16 - drive roller; 17 - intermediate roller; 18 - conveyor drive; 19 - sight 1PN22M1; 20 - front support of the turret rotation mechanism; 21 - thrust; 22 - ATGM control panel; 23 - gunner-operator seat; 24 - conveyor frame; 25 - guide mounting bracket; 26 - roller bracket; 27 - centering roller; 28 - platform suspension bracket in the tower; 29 - rear hinge support of the turret rotation mechanism; 30 - turret rotation mechanism; 31 - connection rod between the sight and the gun; 32 - roller for installing the guide; 33 - PKT machine gun, coaxial with a gun; 34 - conveyor chain; 35 - platform; 36 - centering ring; 37 - guide support
1 - bushing; 2 - intermediate clip; 3 - outer ring; 4 - nut; 5 - rubber ring; 6 - seal; 7 - spring; 8 - support; 9 - travel stopper; 10 - sleeve link outlet; 11 - housing roof; 12 - outer disk; 13 - internal disk; 14 - body; 15 - observation device - sight TNPP-220; 16 - protective cap; 17 - axis; 18 - forehead protector; 19 - eccentric clamp; 20 - electric trigger button of the machine gun; 21 - handle; 22 - bunker; 23 - frame for installing a box with tape; 24 - front pillar; 25 - frame with sliders; 26 - bed; 27 - torsion balancing device; 28 - bracket; 29 - torsion bar
The main method of starting the engine is with an electric starter; air starting is possible, but the car does not have a compressor. There is an automatic mechanism for protecting the engine from water ingress, preventing its penetration into the engine cylinders when it stops while overcoming a water obstacle or washing.
The engine is interlocked with a transmission consisting of a single-disc dry friction clutch, a four-speed manual gearbox with constant mesh gears and synchronizers in 3rd and 4th gears, two side clutches with band brakes and two single-stage planetary final drives. The side clutches are multi-disc, with steel-on-steel friction. The main clutch, gearbox, and side clutches are connected to the engine into one power unit. In addition, gearboxes that drive water-jet propulsors are installed in the engine-transmission compartment. A radiator for the engine cooling system is placed above the gearbox. Air circulation through the radiator is ensured thanks to the shutters in the upper plate of the housing.
The BMD-1 chassis, applied to one side, consists of five rubberized dual ribbed road wheels made of light alloy. The role of elastic suspension elements is performed by hydropneumatic springs, combined into a single system. They use compressed nitrogen as an elastic element, the force to which is transmitted through the liquid.
1 and 2 - magazine boxes for the right-hand machine gun; 3,4 and 9 - bags for signal and lighting cartridges (missiles); 5 and 7 - stowage of 9M14M ATGM shells; 6 - mechanized (conveyor) stacking for 40 PG-15v rounds; 8 - bags for F-1 hand grenades; 10-slots for stowing grenades for RPG-7; 11,12 and 13 - box magazines for the left directional machine gun; 14-- lower magazine box for a coaxial machine gun; 15 - upper magazine box for coaxial machine gun
1 - crankcase; 2 - flywheel; 3 - pointer arrow: 4 - tachometer sensor; 5 - block head; 6 - block head cover; 7 - coolant outlet fitting; 8 - fine fuel filter; 9 - exhaust manifold; 10 - high pressure tube; 11 - fuel pump; 12 - fuel priming pump; 13 - rod for measuring the oil level in the regulator; 14 - centrifugal oil filter; 15 - all-mode regulator; 16 - fuel pump control lever; 17 - cover of the access hatch to the nozzle; 18 - intake manifold; 19 - generator; 20 - air distributor; 21 - starter gear
Hydropneumatic suspension is more complex than torsion bar suspension, but has more favorable elasticity characteristics over a wide range of loads. In addition, it combines the functions of an elastic spring, a hydraulic shock absorber that dampens body vibrations, an actuator power cylinder when the vehicle's ground clearance changes from 100 to 450 mm, and a mechanism for holding the road wheels in the upper position when the body is hanging. The suspension allows you to reduce the overall height of the vehicle when stopping and driving on a flat road, hang it when installed on a landing platform, and reduce the protruding undercarriage when moving afloat. All suspension elements and ground clearance adjustments are located inside the body. The guide wheels are located at the front of the housing. The track tension is changed using a hydraulically driven crank mechanism. The process of tensioning and loosening the tracks is controlled by the driver from his seat, without leaving the car. The BMD-1 uses small-link caterpillars with OMSh, consisting of 87 tracks each. In the middle part of the tracks, there are guide ridges on their inner surface. The upper branches of the caterpillars rest on four single-pitch rubberized support rollers, two of them (the middle ones) located outside the ridges, and the outer ones behind them. The caterpillar track is not covered with protective screens.
Movement on water is carried out by water-jet propulsors located in the engine-transmission compartment along the sides of the vehicle's hull. The water cannons are mounted in tunnels, the inlets of which are located in the bottom of the vehicle, and the outlets in its stern. The inlet and outlet openings are closed with special sliding flaps, which perform the functions of both protection and steering when swimming. Closing the valves of one of the water cannons causes the machine to turn. The BMD-1 floats perfectly on the water, while possessing good swimming speed (up to 10 km/h) and maneuverability. During swimming, a wave-reflective shield rises in the front part of the hull, preventing water from flooding the front part of the hull of the machine.
The additional equipment equipped with the BMD-1 includes a collective protection system against weapons of mass destruction, an automatic fire extinguishing system, as well as water pumping and smoke-generating equipment.
To ensure external communications, the R-123M radio station is installed on the airborne combat vehicle. Communication inside the vehicle is provided by the R-124 tank intercom for five subscribers.
On the basis of the BMD-1, since 1971, the BMD-1 K command vehicle was produced, on which the following were additionally installed: a second radio station R-123M; antenna filter; second device A2 of the R-124 intercom; gas-electric unit; heading indicator; heater and fan of the middle compartment; radiation and chemical reconnaissance device PRHR (instead of the GD-1M gamma sensor); two removable tables. To improve the commander's working conditions, the left directional machine gun mount was removed from the vehicle.
In 1974, the BTR-D tracked armored personnel carrier, created under the leadership of A.V. Shabalin at the VgTZ design bureau using components and assemblies of the BMD-1, was adopted by the airborne troops. Prototypes of this machine were tested military tests in the 119th Parachute Regiment of the 7th Guards. Airborne Division, which has since become a kind of base for testing new equipment.
The appearance of the BTR-D was not accidental. Strict requirements for limiting weight forced the dimensions and, accordingly, the capacity of the BMD-1 to be limited. It could accommodate only seven people: two crew members and five paratroopers (for comparison: in the BMP-1 - 11). Thus, in order to put the Airborne Forces “on armor”, too many combat vehicles would be required. Therefore, the idea arose to develop an armored personnel carrier based on the BMD-1, weaker armed, but having a larger capacity. It differed from the BMD-1 by having a body lengthened by almost 483 mm, the presence of an additional pair of road wheels, and the absence of a turret with weapons. The BTR-D's armament consisted of two front-facing 7.62-mm PKT machine guns mounted in the nose of the vehicle, similar to the BMD-1, and four 902V "Tucha" smoke grenade launchers, mounted in pairs on the rear wall of the troop compartment. In the second half of the 1980s, some vehicles were equipped with a 30-mm AGS-17 “Plamya” automatic grenade launcher, mounted on a bracket on the right side of the hull roof. The permanent crew of the BTR-D consists of three people: a driver and two machine gunners; the troop compartment accommodates ten paratroopers. On the sides of the troop compartment, the height of which, compared to the entire hull, is slightly increased, there are two embrasures with ball mounts for firing from AKMS assault rifles and two prismatic heated devices TNPO-170. In the aft hatch there is an MK-4S periscope device and another ball mount for firing from a machine gun. Observation in the front sector from the troop compartment can be carried out through two rectangular viewing windows, which are closed with armored covers in the combat position. In front of the roof of the troop compartment there is a landing commander's hatch, borrowed from the BMP-1. The observation sector through the TKN-ZB device and two TNPO-170 devices installed on the hatch is expanded due to its rotation on a ball bearing. Despite the increased size, due to the abandonment of the turret with weapons, the combat weight of the BTR-D, compared to the BMD-1, increased by only 800 kg.
In 1979, based on the BTR-D, the BTR-RD “Robot” armored personnel carrier was created, equipped with a 9P135M launcher. anti-tank complex“Competition” for the 9M113 ATGM or 9P135M-1 for the 9M111 “Fagot” ATGM. It entered service with the anti-tank units of the airborne troops. Later, on the basis of the BTR-D, the BTR-ZD “Skrezhet” was created for transporting crews anti-aircraft missile systems(six Strela-3 MANPADS). This machine is also used as a chassis for mounting on the roof of a 23 mm twin automatic anti-aircraft gun ZU-23-2 on a field carriage.
The BTR-D also served as the basis for the creation of a self-propelled artillery piece 2S9 “Nona” and 1B119 “Rheostat” artillery control vehicles. The latter is equipped with a ground target reconnaissance radar with a detection range of up to 14 km, a laser rangefinder (detectable distance up to 8 km), day and night observation devices, a topographic surveyor, an on-board computer, two R-123 radio stations, one R-107. The crew is accommodated in the control room, the instruments are installed in a rotating turret. Armament includes a course PKT, MANPADS, and three Mukha-type RPGs.
The command and staff vehicle of the "regiment - brigade" link KShM-D "Soroka" is equipped with two R-123 radio stations, two R-111 radio stations, an R-130 reconnaissance radio station and classified communications equipment. The battalion-level BMD-KSh "Sinitsa" has two R-123 radio stations.
The BREM-D armored repair and recovery vehicle is equipped with a boom crane, a traction winch, a shovel opener and a welding machine.
On the basis of the BTR-D, the R-440 ODB Phobos satellite communication station, a sanitary armored personnel carrier, as well as launch and control stations for remotely piloted aircraft of the Bee and Shmel types of the Malachite aerial surveillance complex were produced.
In the late 1970s, BMD-1s were subject to changes during major overhauls. In particular, on some vehicles a block of smoke grenade launchers of the 902V “Tucha” system was installed in the rear part of the turret; on others, the road wheels were replaced with newer ones (later such rollers appeared on the BMD-2).
1 - bottom; 2 and 6 - prisms; 3 - transition frame; 4 - upper body; 5 - intermediate prism; 7 - cover; 8 - visor; 9 - safety cushion; 10 - clip; 11 - forehead protector; 12 - lower body; 13 - eccentric clamp; 14 - toggle switch
In 1978, a modernized version of the BMD-1P was put into service with increased firepower due to the installation, instead of the Malyutka ATGM, of a PU for firing ATGMs of the Konkurs or Fagot complex with semi-automatic guidance, increased armor penetration and an extended range of distances combat use. The complex is designed to destroy tanks and other mobile armored objects moving at speeds of up to 60 km/h, stationary targets - firing points, as well as hovering enemy helicopters, subject to their optical visibility at ranges of up to 4000 m. The launcher of the 9M14M complex on the gun mantlet has been dismantled , and on the roof of the turret there is a bracket for mounting the 9P135M launcher machine of the Konkurs (Bassoon) complex. The shooter can aim and launch an ATGM by leaning out of the turret hatch. The ammunition load consists of two 9M113 missiles and one 9M111 missile, which are stowed inside the body in standard launch containers. In the stowed position, a launcher is placed inside the body, and in addition, a tripod, which allows for guidance and launch of ATGMs from the ground.
The ammunition load of the 2A28 gun includes 16 OG-15V rounds with fragmentation grenades. In mechanized laying, they are spaced evenly - after three PG-15V shots, two OG-15V are stacked. The ammunition load for the PKT course machine guns is 1940 rounds in belts of 250 rounds, packed in six boxes; 440 rounds are in original packaging. The vehicle is also equipped with improved surveillance devices and a 1PN22M2 sight, new rollers, and the engine and transmission have undergone some modifications. The combat weight of the BMD-1P increased to 7.6 tons.
BMD-1 airborne combat vehicles began to enter service with the troops in 1968, that is, even before their official adoption. The first to receive new equipment and begin to master it was the 108th Parachute Regiment of the 7th Guards. Airborne Division, which became the first regiment fully armed with BMD-1. In the remaining regiments, at first only one battalion was equipped with new equipment. The first division equipped with new equipment was the 44th Guards. Airborne Division, followed by the 7th Guards. vdd. According to the staff, the parachute regiment is supposed to have 101 BMD-1 and 23 BTR-D, not counting the combat vehicles for various purposes at their base. The process of arming the airborne troops with combat vehicles was completed only by the beginning of the 1980s.
In parallel with the development of new technology, during the 1970s there was a process of mastering the means of landing it. At the first stage, the P-7 parachute platform and the MKS-5-128M and MKS-5-128R multi-dome parachute systems were used to land the BMD-1 and BTR-D. The P-7 parachute platform is a metal structure on removable wheels, designed for landing cargo with a flight weight of 3750 to 9500 kg from Il-76 aircraft at a flight speed of 260 - 400 km/h, and from An-12B and An-22 - at 320 - 400 km/h. The versatility of the platforms, the multiplicity of proven mooring options and the presence of a full set of fasteners made it possible to land literally anything on them - from a combat vehicle to a caterpillar tractor or field kitchens. Depending on the mass of the cargo being dropped, a different number of parachute system blocks were installed on the object (from 3 to 5, 760 m2 each). When landing at speeds of 300 - 450 km/h and a minimum drop height of 500 meters, the rate of descent of objects is no more than 8 m/s. To absorb the shock at the moment of landing, air or honeycomb shock absorbers are used.
By the end of 1972, quite a lot of experience had been accumulated in dropping BMD on multi-dome parachute systems and special platforms. The paratroopers successfully used new combat vehicles in large tactical exercises; they took them from the sky, unmoored them and entered into “battle” with them. The systems had a fairly high reliability, confirmed by a large number of landings - 0.98. For comparison: the reliability of a conventional parachute is 0.99999, that is, one failure per 100 thousand uses.
However, there were also disadvantages. The weight of the platform with wheels and mooring means, depending on the type of vehicle and aircraft, was from 1.6 to 1.8 tons. Preparation for landing required quite a long time, and transportation of systems to airfields took a long time. large quantity freight vehicles. It was difficult to load moored cars onto planes. The low speed of descent of the BMD on multi-dome parachute systems was also not satisfactory. In addition, when landing, the domes interfered with the movement of combat vehicles; they got into the tracks, melted, causing the movers to jam. The greatest difficulty lay elsewhere. From airplanes different types From one (An-12) to four (An-22) vehicles were dropped, the crews jumped after them. Sometimes the paratroopers scattered at a distance of up to five kilometers from their BMDs and searched for them for a long time.
At the turn of the 1960s - 1970s, the commander of the Airborne Forces, General of the Army V.F. Margelov, conceived a bold and, at first glance, unrealizable idea - to parachute people directly into the equipment, and not separately, as was done before. This achieved a significant gain in time and increased the mobility of the landing units. Margelov understood perfectly well that with a significant scattering of paratroopers and equipment, the combat mission might turn out to be impossible - the enemy would destroy most of the landing party immediately after landing.
In the summer of 1971, development began on the “parachute system - combat vehicle - man” complex, which received the code designation “Centaur”. It was created at the beginning of 1972. The testers began dumping the mock-up of the machine with people. Overload tolerance was checked by specialists from the State Research Institute of Aviation and Space Medicine. The vehicles were equipped with simplified space chairs of the “Kazbek” - “Kazbek-D” type. After receiving positive results followed by a stage of technical landings of the complex of aircraft. Then - resetting the BMD with dogs - the results are also excellent; the animals tolerated the overload normally. In mid-December 1972, testers L. Zuev and A. Margelov (son of the commander of the Airborne Forces) and five backups (cadets of the Ryazan School and athletes of the Central Sports Parachute Club of the Airborne Forces) under the leadership of the deputy commander for the airborne service, Lieutenant General I.I. Lisov On a special simulator near the village of Medvezhye Lakes near Moscow, they underwent final training for landing inside a combat vehicle.
The idea of landing people inside the BMD was put into practice on January 5, 1973, when at the Slobodka parachuteport (near Tula), the Centaur crew - commander Lieutenant Colonel L. Zuev and gunner-operator Senior Lieutenant A. Margelov - fell on their heads for the first time in world history “enemy” from the sky in airborne combat vehicles.
A total of 34 landings of systems of this type were carried out, in which 74 people took part. From the An-12 aircraft, the BMD-1 and the entire crew landed inside. This happened at the Ryazan Airborne Command School on August 26, 1975. The use of a joint landing complex allowed the crews of combat vehicles to prepare the vehicle for battle in the first minutes after landing, without wasting time on finding it, as before, which significantly reduced the time it took for the landing force to enter the battle. Subsequently, work to improve joint landing systems continued.
Other shortcomings of multi-dome parachute systems were eliminated in the PRSM-915 parachute-rocket system adopted by the Airborne Forces. This is a strapdown parachute landing craft designed for landing specially prepared cargo and military equipment from Il-76 and An-22 aircraft equipped with roller conveyor equipment, or from an An-12B aircraft equipped with a TG-12M transporter. A distinctive feature of the PRSM-915, in comparison with the MKS-5-128R with the P-7 parachute platform, is the following: instead of five blocks of main parachutes in the MKS-5-128R, each of which has an area of 760 m2, the PRSM-915 uses only one main parachute with an area of 540 m²; Instead of a parachute platform with a shock absorber, a jet engine-braker is used.
The operation of parachute-jet systems is based on the principle of instantaneous damping of the vertical descent speed at the moment of landing due to the thrust of jet engines mounted on the object itself. At the beginning, after separation from the aircraft, the main parachute is put into operation using the EPS (exhaust parachute system), which dampens and stabilizes the falling speed. At this time, the automation of the reactive system is activated; a special generator spins up and charges a large capacitor - its charge will then be used to ignite the brake motor. Two probes, lowered vertically down, have contact contacts at their ends. When they touch the ground, they trigger the powder jet engine, which instantly reduces the vertical speed from 25 m/s to zero. The length of the probes is set depending on the mass of the object, the height of the terrain and the air temperature in the release area.
1 - support; 2 - power hydraulic cylinder; 3 - lever; 4 - crank; 5 - guide wheel; 6 - air spring; 7 - support roller; 8.9 - supporting rollers; 10 - balancer stop; 11 - drive wheel; 12 - final drive; 13 - track
The advantage of this system is that an additional platform is not required to land objects. All elements of the PRS are attached and transported on the machine itself. Disadvantages include some difficulty in organizing the storage of elements of the PRS, their use only for a certain type of military equipment, and greater dependence on external factors: temperature, air humidity.
On January 23, 1976, the Reactavr or Jet Centaur joint landing complex was tested using the PRSM-915 parachute-jet system. In the landing combat vehicle were Lieutenant Colonel L. Shcherbakov and, as in the case of the “Centaur,” the son of the Airborne Forces commander A. Margelov. The tests were successful. In subsequent years, about 100 landings of the Reactavr system were carried out.
The practice of large-scale training landings by airborne troops became characteristic of the 1970s. In March 1970, for example, a major combined arms exercise “Dvina” was held in Belarus, in which the 76th Guards Airborne Chernigov Red Banner Division took part. In just 22 minutes, more than 7 thousand paratroopers and over 150 units of military equipment were landed.
The experience of airlifting a significant amount of military equipment and personnel was useful when sending troops into Afghanistan. In December 1979, formations and units of the Airborne Forces, conducting essentially independent airborne operation, landed in Afghanistan at Kabul and Bagram airfields and before approaching ground forces completed the assigned tasks.
The use of BMD-1 and BTR-D in Afghanistan was not very successful and therefore short-lived. The thin armor of the bottom and the small mass of the vehicles meant that when exploded by powerful landmines, they were practically destroyed into their component parts. Weaker anti-tank mines either completely destroyed the chassis or pierced the bottom.
The impossibility of firing on mountain slopes and the low effectiveness of 73-mm shells against adobe walls were immediately revealed. Therefore, most airborne units in Afghanistan switched to the ground BMP-2, and then to a variant with reinforced armor - the BMP-2D. Fortunately, there was no need for an airborne combat vehicle in Afghanistan, and the paratroopers fought there as elite infantry.
BMD-1 and BTR-D were not exported. However, judging by Western publications, Cuba received a small number of BMD-1s, which used them in Angola. After the withdrawal of Cuban troops from the African continent, several vehicles apparently remained in service with government forces and, judging by photographs, participated in a major battle with UNITA troops near Movinga in 1990. Apparently Iraq also had a small number of BMD-1s in 1991.
After the collapse, a significant number of airborne combat vehicles remained outside of Russia, in some former Soviet republics, on whose territory airborne forces were stationed. As a result, these vehicles were used by warring parties in armed conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh and Transnistria.
By the time of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, the Vienna negotiations on concluding the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) were already in full swing. According to the data that the Soviet Union submitted for its signing, as of November 1990, the USSR had 1632 BMD-1 and 769 BTR-D on this continent. However, by 1997, in the European part of Russia, their numbers amounted to 805 and 465 combat vehicles, respectively. At the moment, their number has decreased even more - combat losses in the North Caucasus and technical wear and tear have affected them. Up to 80% of machines have been in operation for 20 years or more, 95% have undergone one or even two major repairs.
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MOSCOW, May 30 - RIA Novosti, Nikolai Protopopov. The height is 800 meters, a multi-ton vehicle rolls out of the plane and is in free fall for several seconds before the parachutes open. Near the ground, the jet engines fire, the suspension slings are dropped, the BMD gently touches the surface and... abruptly moves away, covering the advancing paratroopers with heavy fire. About how the Russian “winged infantry” lands inside equipment and why no army in the world can still repeat this, read in the RIA Novosti material.
Almost astronauts
Landing in a BMD is a dangerous and complex process, each stage of which is described in detail in instructions and regulatory documents. Even experienced military paratroopers undergo a special training course. The crew prepares the combat vehicle personally: stows the parachute canopies, installs the components of the complex, does the so-called mooring, checks the functionality of all components and the reliability of the fastenings.
Paratroopers train in special shock-absorbing chairs while still outside the vehicle - they take “waiting” and “ready” poses. It's like astronauts trying on housings.
“When the equipped vehicle is loaded onto the plane, the soldiers take their seats in the seats, fasten their seat belts and wait for the signal to land,” Airborne Forces officer and combat veteran Alexander Sherin tells RIA Novosti. “A few minutes before the drop, the crew receives a command to assume a “ready pose.” “The belts must be tightened, the head and back must be pressed tightly to the chair. In general, only Russia today has the technology for landing people in armored vehicles. The rest do not dare.”
Having separated from the aircraft, the vehicle dives sharply, the crew experiences a state of weightlessness, and when the parachutes open and the BMD assumes a horizontal position, the fighters have the feeling of rolling down a mountain. All this is described in detail in the instructions.
The paratroopers understand that the BMD has finally landed by the strong overloads and dull impact on the ground. The squibs fire immediately and the wind pulls the parachutes to the side. The crew gets out of their seats, takes their places and begins to carry out the assigned task.
The release of airborne combat vehicles during joint exercises of paratroopers of Russia, Belarus and Serbia
First flight
For the first time, an airborne combat vehicle with a crew was dropped in January 1973 at the base of the 106th guards division Airborne Forces stationed near Tula. From the military transport An-12.
“At the command of the navigator, the pilot chute fell out, straightened out, gained strength and began to slowly pull out the Centaur,” recalled the son of the legendary Airborne Forces commander, Hero of Russia Alexander Margelov. “Like a giant pendulum with a swing center around the pilot chute, the car first fell 135 degrees from the horizontal , then began to sway with decreasing amplitude. The brake parachutes opened, then the main parachutes."
According to him, in a state of weightlessness the fighters turned upside down. “What seemed especially unnecessary was a fairly decent-sized nut that “floated up” right between us,” said Margelov. “When landing, we experienced a sharp, rolling blow. The heads in the headsets instantly “knocked out the Morse code” on the headrests, and everything froze. Silence fell. A moment later we ", without saying a word, they began to free themselves from the tethered systems. At all stages of airdropping, landing, movement, and shooting, they remained in full combat readiness and proved that paratroopers can fight with the greatest combat effect."
The release of airborne combat vehicles during exercises at the Raevsky military training ground near Novorossiysk
Time is life
The Airborne Forces did not immediately learn how to land equipment with people. By the beginning of the 1970s, they operated separately - the Ilya in front dropped their armor, and then the fighters landed from other sides. But this scheme has a serious drawback - the crew could land five kilometers from their own car. Finding equipment and bringing it into combat readiness took too much precious time.
This reduced the effectiveness of the landing - the enemy could destroy most of the troops immediately after landing. An introductory message was received from the commander of the Airborne Forces, Army General Vasily Margelov: to sharply reduce the time to bring into combat readiness equipment after landing. The only solution is to reset the combat vehicles along with the crew.
Flight-tactical exercises of the Airborne Forces in the Pskov region
The scientific and technical committee of the Airborne Forces began developing a special parachute system codenamed “Centaur” in the summer of 1971. After being thrown out of the plane, five domes with an area of 760 square meters each automatically opened - and the BMD installed on the platform was lowered to the ground.
To reduce shock overloads, simplified Kazbek-D shock-absorbing cosmonaut seats were installed in the vehicles. Technical tests with mannequins and dogs yielded positive results.
The system worked, but the leadership of the Ministry of Defense believed that the risk was too great. After all, if the parachute system fails, everyone inside the combat vehicle is doomed - the crew will not be able to save themselves in an emergency situation. General Margelov managed to convince the Minister of Defense of the USSR, Marshal Andrei Grechko, of the safety of landing equipment with people on board only after he appointed his son as one of the crew members - a gunner-operator.
At the end of 1972, the Ministry of Defense nevertheless approved the Centaur system. During the first landing near Tula, we managed to achieve the main goal - the BMD was ready for battle and fired shots within seconds after landing. But the Centaur parachute system was still not very suitable for real combat conditions. Firstly, it weighed more than two tons (with the BMD-1 weighing seven tons). Secondly, transporting and loading the system onto aircraft required a large number of vehicles, personnel, and most importantly, it took a long three to five hours. The Airborne Forces command was also not satisfied with the low rate of descent of equipment on the multi-dome parachute system.
Exercises of paratroopers of Russia, Serbia and Belarus in Krasnodar region
Jet thrust
Therefore, the designers began to develop a more modern strapdown parachute-rocket system "Reactavr". To smoothly and quickly lower a combat vehicle to the ground, a lightweight dome with an area of only about 540 square meters is used here, the system is mounted and transported directly on the BMD, and the landing speed, reaching 25 meters per second, is damped near the ground almost to zero by jet engines.
Tests of the Reactavr in the winter of 1976 near Pskov at the parachute track of the 76th Guards Airborne Division were successful, and the system was put into service. The project, which significantly increased the effectiveness of the landing force in carrying out combat missions, was continued. By the end of the 1990s, the PBS-950 "Bakhcha" complex was created for the Airborne Forces, the main advantage of which is the ability to land a BMD-3 with a full crew.
The Russian Ministry of Defense continues to work on improving parachute systems for landing equipment. This year, the new parachute-strapdown system “Bakhcha-U-PDS”, designed for dropping BMD-4M, BTR-MDM with a crew inside, should enter service with the Airborne Forces.
IN foreign armies systems for landing equipment together with the crew have not yet taken root. According to some reports, the French tried to repeat the Soviet experiment. A criminal sentenced to death was invited as an “experimental subject.” If the tests were successful, he was promised a pardon. But during the landing the volunteer died.
Parachute landing of military equipment of the Ussuri formation of the Airborne Forces during tactical exercises in Primorye
For the first time in the history of the Airborne Forces, servicemen of the 76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Air Assault Division landed a BMD-2 with its crew. This happened during a command post exercise of the Airborne Forces on March 25, held on the basis of the 76th division. The landing of personnel and the release of equipment in the area of the village of Kislovo was observed by the commander of the Airborne Forces, Lieutenant General Vladimir Shamanov, and 21 military attaches from the USA, Germany, France, Belarus, China, Pakistan, Mongolia, Sweden, Italy, and Kazakhstan. A PAI correspondent reports this.
In total, 775 military personnel and 14 units of military equipment took part in the landing. Three BMD-2s were landed with a crew inside, two people each. After landing, Lieutenant General V. Shamanov personally met the heroic paratroopers, gave each of them a personalized watch and signed a presentation for awarding them the Order of Courage. The high government award was presented to airborne headquarters officer Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Ivanov and servicemen of the 234th regiment of the 76th division, Lieutenant K. Pashkov, senior sergeant V. Kozlov, junior sergeant K. Nikonov, privates A. Borodnikov and I. Tarsuev.
As assistant commander of the Airborne Forces, Colonel Alexander Cherednik, explained to a PAI correspondent, the first landing of military equipment with a crew inside took place in January 1973. Then the dangerous jump was made by the son of the legendary Airborne Forces commander and uncle of the senator from the Pskov region, Alexander Margelov. For this jump he was awarded the title "Hero" Soviet Union". For the last time in the Airborne Forces military equipment with the crew landed in June 2003. Then 7 airborne control officers landed inside the BMD-3. In the entire history of the Airborne Forces, no more than sixty people have been parachuted inside military equipment.
Today's landing is also characterized by the fact that the BMD-2 has never been parachuted with a crew before. “This was the first experience of landing a BMD-2 with a crew, and this experience turned out to be successful,” said Alexander Cherednik.
Today, in order to modernize landing equipment, an experimental release of the BMD-4, the so-called “Sprut” landing tank, took place and demonstrated options for using ATVs, paragliders, snowmobiles and reconnaissance armored vehicles in the Airborne Forces. An exhibition of new models of combat weapons was also launched at the training ground near the village of Kislovo equipment, weapons, uniforms and equipment that will soon enter service with the Airborne Forces. Samples were also presented and demonstration flights of unmanned aerial vehicles were carried out aircraft, developed by Russian enterprises.
Tomorrow, command post exercises of the Airborne Forces will continue at the training ground near the village of Strugi Krasnye. There will be live firing of all types of weapons and the theme of “defensive combat” will be practiced.
