BTR-MD (Rakushka)

History

Historically, airborne units were lightly armed infantry units with few armoured vehicles and viable support weapons. Some shortcomings were corrected during the air campaigns of World War II (1939-1945), and the development of the field continued until the Cold War (1947-1991). The Soviet Union placed particular emphasis on equipping its airborne forces with useful battlefield weapons, such as those in the BMD family of airdrop vehicles (described in detail elsewhere on this site).

The series started with the BMD-1 in 1969 and continued with the BMD-2, BMD-3 and BMD-4 - the latter of which was not introduced until 2004. Further development of this class of vehicles also saw the emergence of an all-new "BTR-MD" tracked vehicle - intended as a successor to the 1974 airborne amphibious tracked vehicle BTR-D.

Development of the BTR-MD began in 2009, and a prototype was available for formal testing with the Russian Airborne Forces in 2013.

BTR-MD is called "Rakushka", which means "shell". It provides protected combat capability on a track, capable of traversing water and surviving small caliber damage and "artillery jets".

Fast, agile and robust, the system is capable off-road and performs equally well in cold and temperate weather conditions.

Although larger in size than previous BMD designs, the BTR-MD retains a fully airdroppable mass, with the vehicle dumping from the rear compartment of a passing transport aircraft. A retractable parachute and an additional bottom pad delayed the tank's fall to some extent.

In this way, the vehicle can be ready within minutes of landing and reach the tactical point within a short time.

Power comes from a 450hp 2V-06-2 turbo diesel engine driving a conventional chain and wheel arrangement on both sides of the fuselage. The drive sprocket is at the rear, the chain idler is at the front, and four chain idlers are on each side of the hull. Road speeds of up to 70 km/h and a range of up to 500 km. It can master 60% gradient and can reach 10 km/h in water.

The suspension system is fully adjustable on the fly, allowing riders to pre-select ride heights when trying to traverse different types of terrain.

The hull features welded aluminum armor to maintain a viable overall weight while still providing some degree of occupant protection. Other survivability measures include an automatic fire suppression system (FSS) to prevent the spread of fires on board, and an NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) suite to deal with more insidious hazards on the battlefield.

The base operates a No. 2 crew (driver and commander), carrying 13 combat-equipped infantry units (or 2,000 kg of cargo equivalent). Crew can enter and exit through the rear door and roof hatch. The rear aisle is partially protected by the existing raised fuselage side structure, but passengers must pass through the engine bay to board and disembark. The driver sat in the front center of the hull, with the commander's post immediately to his left (on the machine gun mount).

Inside, fully digital displays and modern controls greet the crew.

Armament, primarily defensive, is a 1 x 7.62mm medium machine gun. The weapon is remotely controlled by the vehicle driver. A 30mm Automatic Grenade Launcher (AGL) can also be installed to increase the ability to suppress enemy forces at long distances.

Smoke grenade launchers are mounted in two rows on the edge of the front fender of the vehicle to provide self-shielding.

The vehicle weighs 13.2 tons, is 6.1 meters long, 3 meters wide and 2.5 meters high.

At the time of writing (2016), the BTR-MD is in limited circulation, but is likely to increase its value and expand its role on the battlefield of the resurgent Russian military. It was one of many new-generation vehicles displayed by the Russian army at the 2015 Moscow Victory Day military parade.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

2,000 x 7.62mm Ammo

4 x Smoke Grenade

Changes