Modernization of BRDM-2. Polish “mess” for NATO, cars of the Czech Republic, Serbia and Kazakhstan
The BRDM-2 modernization program was implemented under the patronage of the armed forces and financed through the Polish Scientific Research Committee. The work was carried out at WZM (War Mechanical Plant) in Siemianowice Slaskie. Several options for a new power plant were considered - the S359 engine (from the Star 266 truck), Mercedes OM366 and DAF. However, after testing, the choice fell on the Iveco Aifo 8040 diesel engine. The prototype of the modified BRDM-2 was first demonstrated at MSPO-95 (International Defense Industry Show) in 1995, and by 1998 the prototype had passed a cycle of military tests, and the program as a whole was approved to implementation.
WZM produced several versions of the machine, differing in the level of refinement.
Polish BRDM-2В "Zbik-В" received a completely redesigned turret with electric rotation drive
BRDM-2 M96 (“model 96”) - by eliminating the assembly of additional lowering drive wheels, the space of the fighting compartment was increased and doors appeared on the sides of the hull for boarding and disembarking the crew. The driver received the PNK-72 passive night vision device (installed instead of the TNP-A), and the commander received the POD-72 day/night surveillance device. The weapons remained the same. A new brake system, crew seats, and engine heater were installed. Additional boxes and mounting points for tools and equipment are mounted externally, including a bracket for a spare wheel at the stern.
In the BRDM-2 M96I (“model 96i”) version, in addition to the modifications already mentioned above, a new engine was installed - a six-cylinder diesel Iveco Aifo 8040 SRC-21.11, with a power of 165 hp. (25 hp more powerful than the original carburetor). This car was first demonstrated in 1997.
In 1999, BRDM-2М96 fully equipped the 10th Polish reconnaissance battalion, part of the NATO Rapid Reaction Force, which participated in the ORION 99 exercise.
Another version of the BRDM-2 M96IK “Szakal” (“model 96ik”), shown in 2003, was developed specifically for the Polish military contingent in Iraq. It was equipped with an Iveko Aifo 8040 engine, air conditioning to ensure more comfortable work for the crew, new batteries, an onboard radio station RRC-9500 and a portable radio station R-3501. The armament was replaced by a 12.7 mm NSV machine gun (500 rounds of ammunition) and a coaxial 7.62 mm PKT (2000 rounds of ammunition).
In 2004, the BRDM-2M96IK “Szakal Plus” was developed, taking into account Iraqi and Afghan combat experience. Lattice anti-cumulative screens are installed outside the hull, and additional armor plates and anti-fragmentation lining are installed inside. Weight reached 8.5 tons
In 2004, taking into account Iraqi and Afghan combat experience, the BRDM-2M96IK “Szakal Plus” was developed. The main goal of this modernization was the desire to provide protection to the crew from armor-piercing bullets of 7.62 mm caliber and grenades fired from the RPG-7 anti-tank grenade launcher. For this purpose, lattice anti-cumulative screens were installed on the outside of the hull, and additional armor plates and anti-fragmentation lining were installed inside. Mine protection was also strengthened. As a result, the total weight of the vehicle increased by almost a ton, reaching 8.5 tons.
The scope of modifications carried out on the BRDM2В (“model 97”) “Zbik-В” linear machines was significantly greater. They included a set of changes made on the Model 96, in addition to the installation of a completely redesigned turret, which rotated using an electric drive. Launchers for firing smoke grenades (2x3) were attached to the tower. The main armament included a 12.7 mm NSV machine gun and a coaxial 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. The design of the turret made it possible to place in it a launcher with four 9M113 “Fagot” ATGMs that could be pulled out through a special hatch.
“Zbik” received an Iveco Aifo 8040 diesel engine with a power of 165 hp. The power transmission was modernized (new gearbox, strengthened driveshafts), new control system servomechanisms and double-disc brakes were installed. Fuel capacity - 140 liters (in one tank). During the modernization, a large amount of work was carried out to equip the vehicle with new optical / thermal imaging devices and systems for a better overview of the area. They included: passive day/night observation devices, a laser irradiation warning system, UNZ-20 satellite navigation equipment, and a digital radio station.
Shielded "Zbik-B"
BRDM-2A (“model 98”) “Zbik-A” (commander) - in addition to the changes introduced on the “model 97”, it had a retractable rod mounted on the turret, on which an optoelectronic observation head from the German company STN AtlasElektronik and a battlefield surveillance radar were installed AN/PPS-5C. Additional radio communication equipment (radio station R-3530) and control equipment (BFC201 and PCJ9560 terminals), and a laser irradiation warning system were installed inside the vehicle.
Only one prototype was built. It was tested in 2001, but did not go into mass production, just like the “Zbik-P” - an air defense system on the BRDM-2 M96 chassis, demonstrated in September 2002 at the MSPO-2002 exhibition in Kielce. It was planned to install a Poprad launch system with four Grom MANPADS (based on the components and technologies of the Soviet Igla MANPADS) or a radar station.
In the Czech Republic, at the beginning of 2001, tests of two prototypes of the modernized BRDM-2 were completed: the BRDM2V linear vehicle and the BRDM-2VR command vehicle, equipped with additional communications equipment.
The general layout of the prototypes was almost identical to the original vehicle. However, the composition of the weapons changed - the turret was equipped with a 12.7 mm NSVT machine gun and a coaxial 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. The sight had television and infrared channels. The original carburetor engine was replaced with a Renault turbocharged diesel engine producing 162 hp. A new ZF gearbox and a new transmission for the jet propulsion were installed. The cooling and lubrication systems were redesigned accordingly. The engine compartment was equipped with a semi-automatic fire alarm and fire extinguishing system. A new brake system was installed. The vehicle has fully retained its amphibious properties.
Azerbaijani BRDM-2 - a remote-controlled 12.7 mm machine gun is installed instead of the turret
Thanks to the dismantling of the auxiliary wheel system, additional volume was freed up inside the hull and side doors were made for boarding the crew on the sides. The crew size increased to 6 people. The front part of the vehicle has undergone significant changes, where instead of two inspection hatches closed with armored covers, one wide window was made, covered with armored glass and a folding grille-blinds.
The vehicle received a modern on-board navigation system, including a global positioning system (GPS) receiver and a built-in digital map. All information was displayed on the commander-gunner's display. A compact laser rangefinder was included as standard. Radio communications are according to NATO standards.
The Commander BRDM-2VR is similar to the BRDM-2V, but is optimized for the command post role. She had a crew of four and additional communications equipment. The car also received an electric generator to power additional communication equipment in the parking lot.
It was assumed that the first batch of modernized vehicles of 50 units would go into service with the Czech contingent of the NATO Rapid Reaction Force. However, the exact production volumes are unknown. A number of BRDM-2Vs, but without the turret and weapons, were transferred to police special forces.
BRDM-2 in Prague, Telice district, Operation Danube, 1968
In 2009, information appeared about the Serbian modification of the BRDM-2. Armament - 20 mm cannon or 12.7 mm machine gun, new more powerful engine, enhanced crew protection, etc. It was assumed that the vehicle would be able to conduct reconnaissance in the infrared, optical, and electromagnetic ranges.
The second option was proposed in the form of a light armored personnel carrier. The significantly modified building housed four paratroopers. The vehicle's armament included a 30 mm grenade launcher and a 7.62 mm machine gun mounted in a lightweight, low-profile turret.
In 2010, at the international arms exhibition "CADEX-2010" held in Astana, the Israeli company for the development and modernization of various types of weapons "Elbit Systems" demonstrated a version of the modernized BRDM-2, intended for the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan. The vehicle is equipped with a new digital radio, a digital intercom system, an integrated weapons management system (WINBMS), a stabilized V-SOS surveillance system, an ORCWS-M remote control weapon station and a night vision system for the driver. The ORCWS-M module is stabilized in two planes, has day and night video cameras and a laser range finder and is armed with a 12.7 mm machine gun. The module provides automatic target tracking, but also has manual control. The modernization project provides for the installation in the rear of the vehicle of a mast-mounted stabilized V-SOS surveillance system, fully integrated with the WINBMS weapons control system developed by Elbit Systems, which makes it possible to increase the efficiency of the BRDM-2 crew and makes it possible to conduct reconnaissance for battalion-level units and below. The vehicle is equipped with a new Tadiran radio station with two flexible whip antennas. A combined GPS/inertial positioning system, the Comet IMU, is installed aft.
Finally, we can mention the “disarmed” BRDM-2 - “Ingul”. This deeply redesigned version of the BRDM-2 was intended for the rescue service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation. Instead of the removed turret, a cargo platform was installed on the roof of the hull, designed to accommodate 1.5 tons of cargo. The front inspection hatches, standard for the BRDM-2, have been retained, but in addition to them, six additional windows have been made in the upper hull sheets. The sides of the hull have doors for boarding the vehicle and stowing equipment; additional lowering wheels have been removed. The internal space freed up by eliminating the lowering wheels was used for storing equipment and tools.
Remains of Soviet equipment, next to the former tank repair plant. Puli Khumri, Afghanistan
The article was published in the January 2015 issue of the journal Science and Technology
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Tags: Land equipment BRDM-2 M96 BRDM2В NATO BRDM-2 weapons Poland
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BRDM from Armata: test drive
We've already heard about the Armored Warfare BRDM giveaway. Moreover, I even fell into the mood to fantasize about using it, which, of course, is an unusual phenomenon. Well, the draw is only a few hours away and only the lazy haven’t gotten their hands on the codes for participation yet. If you're lazy, sorry. collection of applications has been completed. There are more than 120 thousand applicants, but very few have any idea what kind of animal this is.
And so, hastening to dispel all doubts
And share the information you find,
I'll post a test of the article here without changes.
There the journalists and Bardak went on a drinking binge.
In fact, just for a mini-corporate event, but the article is humorous and just about a test drive of the same BRDM that will find a new owner today.
Where!" — a man with the word “security” on his greasy jacket was indignant, not allowing us to park properly. “Leave me alone, soldier! Now let’s buy food for the New Year’s corporate party and go home, like all normal people,” we reassured him. And why did he get so worked up, was it really because of the armored car with a gun in which we drove into the territory of the shopping center near the Third Transport? Sushi oars, Chopovets: the machine gun on the roof of our BRDM is a dummy!
They say that the craziest ideas are born during or immediately after a busy corporate party. But difficult people work at cars.ru, so in our editorial office the opposite happened. Go in an armored reconnaissance patrol vehicle (BRDM-2) to buy groceries at Auchan, and then immediately hold a corporate party somewhere in the impassable thicket of a forest near Moscow? Easily! Believe it or not, this idea came into our brains through a completely sober head one weekday evening. Well, you can’t go to the store in a test Mazda6, when under the window there is an all-wheel drive piece of metal weighing almost six tons, decorated by a cool graphic artist!
I bet you a bottle of sparkling wine, you thought that driving a BRDM-2 around the city was pure fun. The hell with it, throw away the champagne: this is a man's hard work! Moreover, not only the driver has to sweat a lot - the passengers of this bandurina get no less. Visibility!? How much will you see if you wear swimming goggles while driving? We are lucky, we have a demilitarized “mess”: instead of a pair of loopholes the size of a New Year’s card, we have three segments of windshield and even a Mercedes wiper.
But all the same, changes from row to row take place under the slogan “Whoever didn’t hide, it’s not my fault!” - There are no mirrors. But there are four all-round cameras that must be turned on separately before each maneuver. And thanks for that. In the end, each driver is the architect of his own happiness: we won’t be too upset upon contact, 14 mm armor can withstand a point-blank shot from a machine gun, and passing vehicles are like flies.
And inside our “mess”, prepared for the online tank game “Armored Warfare: Project Armata”, there is an audio system installed. It’s a pity, we can only hear it when we stop at traffic lights, they say this BRDM-2 has good acoustics. But even at idle, the roar of the GAZ-41 V-shaped petrol “eight” with a power of 140 hp sounds great, as if someone very big is yelling at you in a bass voice in both ears at once. And we haven't started yet. While driving, multiply the roar by a hundred, add transmission and other noise to it, and then multiply everything by two again.
Our first stop is Auchan on the Third Transport Ring. And the first bummer: the supermarket only has underground parking, entry to which is limited by a gate two meters high. The BRDM-2 has almost two and a half meters from the asphalt to the top, and this is the reason for an extraordinary editorial meeting. It was decided to storm another Auchan, on the outskirts of Moscow, where there is a large above-ground parking lot. Besides, we were going out of town anyway. One caveat: our armored car is not allowed to enter the Moscow Ring Road - it is prohibited for such vehicles to cross highways. No problem, we’ll plot the route in a roundabout way and turn on the third space one!
Are you interested in dynamics, acceleration to “hundreds” and stuff like that? Yes, our BRDM-2 engine is located longitudinally at the rear, like some Ferrari. But there is a nuance - in terms of dynamics, this former warrior is slightly inferior to the Italian supercar. Even the General Staff doesn’t know how long it takes the “mess” to accelerate to “hundreds,” and its maximum speed does not exceed 100 km/h. We were driving 60 km/h, and I dreamed that my mother-in-law would be here instead of me.
In addition to the noise and shaking of the spring suspension, which a passenger has to cope with on long hauls, he must also manage not to hit any part of his body on the contents of the cabin. But you don’t have to try, you’ll still hit yourself, most likely with your head. For example, the guts of a rotating tower sticking out in all directions. There's nothing to be done, military equipment has no time for comfort.
Imagine walking out of a store with a cart full of groceries and seeing an armored car with a gun. Your actions? We didn’t even have time to park when we were immediately overwhelmed by idiots who wanted to take a selfie in front of the BRDM-2. But we were counting on a different effect... In general, if you decide to replace your SUV with something like this, and the price is quite comparable (about 1.5 million), then know: getting lost in traffic is not about “mess”. Even seasoned traffic cops stare at the armored car, not to mention ordinary drivers and pedestrians - these guys generally break their necks! By the way, keep in mind that to drive the demilitarized version of the BRDM-2 you need a category C license for self-propelled vehicles. Well, what if you really decide to change things without consulting your wife? Although this particular armored car could have been won in a competition organized by the online tank game project “Armored Warfare: Project Armata”.
But that's enough, we've worked for the public, it's time to be honored. In the end, our corporate party is getting cold! We load the provisions into the back, and forward, away from the asphalt and onlookers. Intelligence reported that there was an excellent edge nearby - just the thing for our corporate event. The main thing is not to break the champagne along the way! The armored car calmly jumps over hefty embankments, grinding transmission metal, calmly crawls through what those shifted off-road call authentic off-road terrain, and parks.
If it were our will, we would go to the ends of the earth, fortunately the BRDM-2 doesn’t care what’s under its thick wheels, even if it’s a river. "Bardak" is an amphibian. But consumption of 50 liters of gasoline per 100 km introduces its own limitations. Despite a couple of tanks with a volume of 140 liters, we decided to stop here: nature is nearby and the city is not far. Who knows how this corporate party will end. My last year went like a joke:
A telephone survey conducted the morning after the New Year's corporate party gave the following results:
2% - “yes?”
3% - “Hello?”
95% - found it difficult to answer
