35 years ago, the BMP-3 was adopted. Due to its firepower and level of protection, this armored vehicle remains the main combat unit of infantry support. The BMP-3 feels equally confident on the ground and in the water, it is used in the desert, in the jungle and in permafrost conditions. The Kurganmashzavod of the holding "High-Precision Complexes" of the Rostec State Corporation is engaged in the production and modernization of the machine.
The BMP-3 continues to improve – earlier it was reported that the car will receive an improved engine and a new thermal panoramic sight of the commander. In addition, the armored vehicle will be equipped with new communication systems and a complex of additional protection. About the history of the creation of the BMP-3 and plans for modernization – in our material.
Both transport and fire support
In the XX century, with the growing importance of tank troops, there was a need to increase the speed of infantry movement on the battlefield. At first, armored personnel carriers were created for these purposes. And in the 1950s and 60s, when the threat of the use of nuclear weapons was quite real, a new type of equipment appeared - infantry fighting vehicles.
This armored transport was supposed to protect the crew and motorized infantry troops from various damaging factors, overcome water obstacles and provide powerful fire support to the infantry. The BMP-1, created in the mid-1960s at the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant, became the first such machine in the world. The success of the new combat unit was consolidated by the BMP-2 developed by the Kurgan Machine-Building Plant and adopted in 1980, which was widely used in the conflict in Afghanistan, which the Mujahideen called nothing else than "Shaitan arba".
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| Military parade on the anniversary of the October Revolution, Rostov-on-Don, 1986 |
| Source: Vyacheslav Argenberg / wikimedia.org |
In the late 1970s, to strengthen the offensive capabilities of the infantry, the designers of the Kurganmashzavod began developing a new generation of infantry fighting vehicles. The defining characteristic in the terms of reference was an increase in firepower. Another task set by the military was to increase the survivability of the BMP, namely, the ability to withstand frontal impacts of an arsenal of similar foreign vehicles. At the same time, the BMP had to remain floating and amphibious, that is, relatively light. The chief designer Alexander Alexandrovich Blagonravov was entrusted with solving all these complex and interesting tasks.
Inside the BMP-3
For the best placement of the troops, a variant with a transverse engine arrangement was chosen. The UTD-29 diesel powerplant was developed especially for the BMP-3. And since the 1980s, a semi-automatic transmission has been used on the BMP-3 for the first time in the country for such machines.
BMP-1 and BMP-2 were steel, and to increase the survivability of the new machine, a new alloy was needed. It was specially developed for these purposes in the Research Institute of Steel armor aluminum ABT-102. At that time, there was no suitable capacity in the country to produce such a large amount of aluminum, so a new plant was opened. The armor of the BMP-3 is covered not only the body, but also the combat module, and the seams are made according to a heavy-duty labyrinth scheme.
Then, already when the first prototype models were tested, in long disputes between developers and departments, the optimal variant of weapons was determined, which provided the necessary increase in firepower. As a basis, a variant of the Tula Instrument Design Bureau was adopted with the combination of a 100-mm launcher, a 30-mm cannon and a 7.62-mm machine gun in one tower block.
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| BMP-3 with the Berezhok module. |
| Source: Alexander Utkin |
The rocket launcher was developed specifically for the BMP-3 by V.P. Gryazev, the patriarch of the Russian arms industry. The gun turned out to be relatively small in size, with a vertical aiming angle of 60 ° and a unique system for ejecting spent cartridges overboard. The 100-mm gun can operate in automatic mode: a giant "roulette" rotates with shells, they are loaded into the gun, and a shot is fired. The operator can only aim the gun at the target.
The new 30-mm gun – also the result of Gryazev's skill – is combined with the launcher in one unit, which increased the accuracy and accuracy of firing. On the BMP-3, the designers were the first in the world to install an automated fire control system on such a machine, which, among other things, allowed firing missiles on the move.
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| Inside the BT-3F armored personnel carrier. |
| Source: Alexander Utkin |
The BMP-3 uses high-explosive fragmentation 3UOF17 and 3UOF19 "Cherry" as projectiles to destroy manpower, fortifications, and lightly armored vehicles, and 9M117 anti-tank guided missiles are prepared for tanks.
The BMP-3 is the only infantry fighting vehicle that is equipped with active protection systems today. It uses four types of containers with dynamic protection, which in 80-90% of cases prevent damage from light anti-tank missiles and grenades. Naturally, the task of the machine's operation in the conditions of the use of weapons of mass destruction was also solved. The BMP-3 has a sealed housing and a special ventilation system.
The car is exceptionally mobile, both on the ground and in the water. Depending on the coating, the BMP-3 can reach speeds of up to 65 km/h. On the ground, it can hover like a cobra at the top of a 35° slope. And the BMP-3, unlike many of its "classmates", enters the water without any preparation. In the water element, the car feels confident thanks to water cannons that create jet thrust and accelerate the BMP to 10 km/ h.
The Queen of the battlefield
As a result, the BMP-3 turned out to be a very balanced machine in all the most important parameters: fast, protected and well armed. The BMP-3 has been developed for about 15 years. In the 1990s, when the state defense order in the country fell significantly, it was the BMP-3 that kept the Kurganmashzavod afloat: the high quality of the machine ensured stable orders from foreign buyers. Export models have strengthened the armies of a dozen countries. About 600 units were delivered in the UAE alone. According to the set of characteristics of the BMP-3, adopted back in 1987, there are still no competitors in the world.
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| BMP-3 with the "Bakhcha-U" module. |
| Source: Anton Tushin |
As expected, the car was tested in the mountains and in the desert, in the heat and in the cold, dropped from airplanes, tested in the seas. Almost immediately with the appearance of the first machines, various modifications began to be created. Almost any combat module can be installed on the BMP-3 tracked base: a universal "Melon", an anti-aircraft complex for air defense "Derivation", a module "Berezhok", various self-propelled guns. A commander's version of the BMP-3K, a model for the BMP-3F Marines, a BRM-3K "Lynx" reconnaissance vehicle, a BRAM-L "Runaway" repair and evacuation vehicle, a Chrysanthemum ATGM and other models were created on the BMP-3 chassis.
The Arctic version of the BT-3F, developed by Rostec's High-Precision Complexes holding, is very interesting. Since the engine and transmission in it are shifted aft, it has a spacious body that can accommodate up to 15 people. The autonomous heating system allows the car to operate at -50 °, and wide tracks are added to increase cross-country ability.
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| Armored personnel carrier BT-3F. |
| Source: Alexander Utkin |
Kurganmashevtsy, in parallel with the supply of the machine for the Ministry of Defense, continue to work on improving the tactical and technical characteristics of the product. Work is underway to increase the survivability of the BMP-3, increase its firepower, mobility and improve operational qualities. New means of communication, optical devices, and a navigation system are being developed and installed. A new, more powerful engine is in operation. The modernization reserve of the BMP-3 is far from exhausted, and for many years it will remain in service with our army and the armies of other states.
