Russia's BMD‑4M tanks to target drones with new tech boost
The Rostec corporation has announced plans to adapt BMD-4 vehicles for use as anti-drone systems. Although the BMD-4 was originally designed for entirely different tasks, the Russians aim to leverage its powerful armament to destroy drones.
The BMD-4 is a light infantry fighting vehicle intended for airborne troops. Like the rest of the BMD family, it is lightly armored, contributing to its low weight, which does not exceed 31,000 pounds.
This light weight allows the vehicle to be transported by air and even airdropped with parachutes, with the crew inside. After a successful landing, it enables combat to commence almost immediately.
The advantage of the BMD-4 lies in its powerful armament—similar to the BMP-3—making it arguably the most heavily armed infantry fighting vehicle in the world. Its weaponry includes a 30-mm 2A72 automatic cannon, a 100-mm 2A70 gun that also serves as a launcher for 9M117 Bastion/Arkan anti-tank missiles, and two machine guns.
BMD-4M as a drone hunter
The BMD-4 combines very strong weaponry with limited crew protection—its acronym is sometimes humorously expanded in Russia as "brotherly grave of the paratroopers." Due to the inability to use these vehicles as initially intended, Rostec has proposed using the currently deployed BMD-4M version as a base for an anti-drone system.
For this purpose, the vehicle is to be modernized and adapted for use with programmable ammunition, which significantly increases its effectiveness against small, agile targets such as drones. The modernized BMD-4 will also be outfitted with an anti-drone jammer.
However, in presenting its proposal, Rostec did not address the known limitations of the BMD-4. One notable limitation is the low elevation angle of the armament, which at 60 degrees is inadequate for anti-aircraft purposes.
The Russian corporation also fails to mention any sensor replacements or upgrades to the fire control system. Although the BMD-4 is equipped with the modern Bachcha-U turret system with an advanced fire control system, the current version can only engage relatively slow aerial targets, like helicopters, rather than fast-moving drones.
