At the recent training camps for junior specialists of the Kyrgyz army, among the samples of military equipment presented, the BMP-2D, previously used in parts of a limited contingent of Soviet troops in Afghanistan, was noticed.
From the usual "twos", such armored vehicles are distinguished by reinforced armor. So, the side projections are covered with armored screens that protect not only the chassis, but also the sides. At the same time, the landing party retained the ability to fire from personal weapons through eight embrasures. An additional steel plate is mounted on the stern of the tower.
Due to the increased threat of explosions on mines and land mines, work was carried out to strengthen the bottom.
After all the innovations, the combat weight increased by 500 kg - up to 14.5 tons. The BMP has lost the ability to swim, but it can ford rivers and reservoirs up to 1.2 meters deep.
As the specific power decreased, the maximum speed decreased to 62 km/h.
The fuel reserve is 600 kilometers. The standard armament is a 30-mm rapid-firing cannon, a 7.62-mm twin machine gun and a complex of guided anti-tank weapons "Competition". An automatic 30-mm grenade launcher AGS-17 "Flame" is used as an additional firing means. The crew is three people, the landing party is seven.
There are 90 BMP-2s in service with the Kyrgyz land forces, data on how many of them are "Afghan variants" have not been officially released.
Alexey Brusilov
