BMD-4M

Russia's air-droppable amphibious infantry fighting vehicle, fielded by the VDV and armed with a 100 mm gun-launcher and 30 mm autocannon.

Overview

The BMD-4M is a tracked, air-droppable infantry fighting vehicle purpose-built for Russia’s Airborne Forces (VDV). It delivers a main-battle-tank-like gun-launcher capability in a package light enough to be parachuted onto the battlefield, swims across inland water obstacles, and gives VDV dismounts direct fire support from a vehicle that can keep pace with a fast-moving air-assault operation.

Development

The BMD-4M is an upgraded member of the BMD-4 family, designed to unify the airborne fleet with the BMP-3’s powerpack. The Russian Defence Ministry adopted the vehicle in December 2012, and series production ramped up from about 2016, according to Army Recognition. The turret is supplied by KBP Tula, while Kurganmashzavod builds the hull and integrates the UTD-29 engine shared with the BMP-3 — a deliberate move to simplify logistics between the VDV and the ground forces.

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