BMD‑3 Transporter. New equipment for Russian paratroopers

Photos of VDV soldiers training with very rare BMD-3 armored transporters have appeared on the internet. This is equipment that utilizes war experience, which was supposed to provide the VDV with new capabilities. According to the Ukrainians, the vehicles shown in the photos were not listed in the Russian inventory of stored weapons.

The Ukrainian service Defense Express reports on unusual and very rare equipment that has gone to the new Russian airborne units. Photos available on the internet show Russian WDV soldiers training with BMD-3 transports.

These are exceptional vehicles. Although they were supposed to be mass-produced, in the end, probably only about 100-130 units were produced, which were stored even in the last century.

Reaching for such unusual transporters may mean that other reserves have already been exhausted by the Russians.

The BMD-3 was developed in the 80s as a new generation of armored vehicle for airborne units. The design of the machine utilized the experiences gained by the Russians during the war in Afghanistan and it was intended to create a vehicle superior to its predecessors in firepower.

For this reason, instead of a tower with an old, low-pressure 2A28 Grom cannon, as in the BMD-1, or a one-person tower with a 30-mm 2A42 cannon, as in the BMD-2, the new vehicle uses weaponry from the BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle in the form of a two-person tower housing a 2A42 30mm cannon, a machine gun, and a 1.6-inch grenade launcher, as well as a launcher for 9K113 Konkurs anti-tank guided missiles.

This change required the use of a new, larger, and heavier hull, but the growing number of heavy Russian cargo planes at the time meant that this wasn't a problem. As a result, a heavily armed, but also very light transporter was created, with the ability to float and the option of parachuting with crew inside.

The plans assumed that the Russian army would receive 700 such vehicles annually, but production was halted after only about 130 units were produced in the 90s.