By Artur Volkov.
Recently there are a lot of talks about the new and advanced examples of armored vehicles. Definitely, the advanced developments imply the significant newsworthy information, however, prior to talking about future, it is important to analyze the existing examples, and compare them with the world competitors. Such an approach always extends the horizon and makes it possible to move further in proper direction.
What is used today, what is time-proven and does not require further improvements? Let us give consideration to the operational and physical characteristics of two versions BMP-3, BMP-3М, BMP-3 “Derivatsiya” and compare these vehicles with its closest analog, the American IFV Bradley M2A3.
Layout Description
The crew of BMP-3 consists of three persons (commander, driver mechanic, gunner), a vehicle can accommodate seven persons of assault force with full battle-rattle, while five of seven passengers can open fire from the fire slits sitting in the folding seats. It was decided to change a traditional approach to IFV arrangement in this vehicle. Traditionally used engine arrangement in the front part of the vehicle has been changed to the tank arrangement, i.e. now the engine is located in the aft part of IFV, which imparts some advantages and some disadvantages thereto as well.
Speaking about the merits of such engine arrangement, first of all it is necessary to point out an improved field of vision for the driver mechanic as well as a fact that the power plant has now less chance to be in the line of fire, as it could have happened with its standard arrangement. Besides, the vehicle weight is distributed more advantageously along its length, which positively affects its propulsive performance (in particular, the vehicle stability in case of driving on irregular terrain).
Armament of BMP-3
The BMP-3 is a unique vehicle in many respects. It is far from standard ones not only regarding its arrangement. The designers have provided it with quite an unusual complex of armaments for this class of armored vehicles. They include the 100-mm gun/launcher 2А70 as well as twin-barreled with it 30-mm gun 2А72 and 7.62-mm machine gun. Such armory has made it possible for the BMP-3 to acquire really unique characteristics imparting it its intrinsic specific features. It cannot but be mentioned about the accessible ammunition while on the subject of the armaments. Two types of quick-firing rounds are used: high-explosive fragmentation projectiles (HEF) and anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) 9М117 “Basnya”.
The muzzle velocity of HEF projectile is 250–355 m/s, depending on the model of ammunition used. The loading gear of semi-automatic action consists of a conveyer, charging mechanism, ramming device and empty case ejection mechanism. The conveyer provides for the location of complete rounds and displacement thereof to the line of release (to loading plane), wherefrom the complete round gets captured by the charging mechanism. The conveyer frame accommodating 22 artillery rounds stowed into trays with the flanges of cases secured in the slots of spring-loaded stops is located under the floor of combat compartment and can rotate with respect to the latter by means of electromechanical or manual (emergency) drive. The charging mechanism captures the round out of the conveyer, supplies it to the loading gear, wherefrom the round by the ramming device is delivered to a seat of gun charge (and two chains extend from a gearbox and get arranged in parallel to form a rigid ramming element). A rear part of turret roof accommodates the attached ejection mechanism intended for removal of fired empty cases out of the vehicle. The ATGM together with the gun and control equipment forms a complex of guided armaments. The mechanism provides for the firing rate of 10 rounds/min. The ATGM guidance system is of a semi-automatic laser-beam type, the maximum range of fire is 4,000 m, and the minimum range of fire is 100 m.
Modernized BMP-3М
The plans of the BMP-3 have incorporated a wide range of challenges, i.e.: increasing power and operating range of guided and unguided ammunitions, improving fire control system (FCS) in terms of enhancing searching characteristics, providing night fire and fire on unseen targets. The tasks have been also set to increase efficiency of anti-aircraft fire, expand combat capabilities of the vehicle commander, increase on-board ammunition capacity, and improve operational characteristics of the armaments complex.
In order to solve the above tasks, different designer ideas have been applied. The specific features of the BMP-3М combat compartment include, first of all, a new ammunition capacity of guided and unguided rounds, new FCS, unified loading automatic device designed to increase the rate of fire. A vertical arrangement of rounds in the loading automatic device has helped to increase the number of 100-mm rounds with the high-explosive fragmentation projectiles from 22 to 34 units, while in case of utilizing IFV without an assault force the quantity of rounds can be increased up to 100. In the process of ammunition capacity modernization the 100-mm round with guided missile 9М117М1 “Arkan” has been developed, featuring a range of fire up to 5,500 meters and a destructive warhead capable of hitting modern tanks, which are provided with the explosive-reactive armor. The ammunition ZUOF19 has also been provided for the gun 2А70 featuring improved high-explosive fragmentation characteristics, such as the coverage area of 368 square meters against 160 square meters with its predecessor.
On top of that listed above, the armory of BMP-3М has been supplemented with 30-mm cartridge with armor-piercing composite round “Kerner” featuring increased piercing performances (25 mm from a distance of 1,500 meters against 14 mm with its predecessor). It needs to be added that all the vehicles provided with a capability of applying ATGM 9М117 can use the new missiles “Arkan”. Though, in case of no upgrades provided, a range of launching will be limited to 4,000 meters, while after a minimum modification of the guidance instruments in terms of increasing time of transmitter operation the range of fire can be increased up to 5,500 meters with the old BMP-3, too. ATGM “Arkan” differs from 9М117 also by the enhanced piercing performance; it has increased from 550 mm to 750 mm. Also, owing to the new automatic loading device BMP-3М can use ATGM at the rate of four rounds per minute, while this parameter featured two rounds per minute with the baseline version of BMP-3.
Besides this, the capabilities of anti-aircraft firing and a battle at night conditions have been improved through the installation of a thermal imaging device. The device makes it possible to fire rounds to a similar distance both day and night (5,500 meters for ATGM, 4,000 meters for 30-mm projectiles and 7,000 meters for firing 100-mm high-explosive fragmentation projectiles).
BMP-3 “Derivatsiya”
In the fall of 2015, a new modification of BMP-3 was introduced, the main feature of which was the uninhabited combat module AU220M “Baikal”. It is, at the moment, a game changer in the field of arrangement of infantry fighting vehicles. This solution has many advantages, including those relating to the crew safety, because, as you know, the combat compartment of the vehicle gets hit in the first place. Accordingly, the availability of an uninhabited combat module helps to reduce the probability of the crew’s death.
The directing gun of the module AU220M “Baikal” is a 57-mm automatic gun BM-57 built on the basis of the Soviet anti-aircraft gun S-60. This gun has a very high performance allowing it to rival (and in some respects, even surpass) the modern automatic weapons. The closest analogue of the BM-57 is the Swedish 40-mm gun Bofors L/70. Automatic gun BM-57 with a larger caliber has almost the same airspeed of explosive projectiles as those of L/70B (1,000 m/s and 1,025 m/s, respectively). But the Russian gun has a distinct advantage over all the other Western counterparts, including smaller calibers. It is the firing range of 12 km: no other IFV on the planet has this feature. Firing speed is 80 rounds/min, ammunition capacity is 200 rounds, 80 of which can be placed in an automated round rack.
This new modification of the BMP-3 puts it above the Western counterparts available on the market. Thanks to a new combat module with automatic 57-mm caliber gun, BMP-3 can solve a wide range of tasks, sometimes even without entering the enemy's field of fire. All this is achieved due to the incredibly high, by today's standards, firing range of 12 km.
There is also a very important parameter, which may be attractive in the global arms market: the AU220M combat module can be installed to replace the old inhabited combat modules without any serious financial cost to the customer. This feature makes this modification very important for the countries that have previously acquired a baseline BMP-3.
Comparative Analysis of the BMP-3M, BMP-3 “Derivatsiya”, and M2A3 Bradley
In the analysis of the two infantry fighting vehicles we should start with one of the most important characteristics, namely, the vulnerability, as one of the tasks of the IFV is to transport infantry to the location under combat conditions. At the same time, in contrast to the armored personnel carriers, which should only deliver troops to the desired point and retreat (providing support fire during landing and securing position), the IFV should support infantry during further implementation of the combat mission.
Armor Plating Parameters
Bradley M2A3
Let us start with a well-armored American IFV M2A3, which has combined armor with some impressive parameters:
Armor face has a thickness of 60 mm, plus armored plates, 32 mm thick, which makes it 92 mm of combined armor. The sides have the same plates that are arranged on the armor face. Side skirts are able to withstand the ingress of most 30-mm armor-piercing fragmentation projectiles. It also has a set of dynamic protection “BUSK III”, which allows increasing survivability of the vehicle under conditions of active use of ATGM.
BMP-3М
- Lower glacis plate – 57 mm, inclination of 42.5°
- Central glacis plate – 57.2 mm, inclination of 25°
- Armor face – 52 mm, inclination of 80°
- Side armor plating of BMP-3M is 20 mm. It is possible to install a set of dynamic protection “Kaktus”.
As we can see, the American IFV has higher security, but this turned it into a heavy vehicle weighing 30 tons. As a result, it is unable to overcome wide water obstacles or perform landing operations from the sea, in contrast to the BMP-3M, which weight allows it to float. Also, BMP-3M can be airlifted despite the availability of vehicles specially created for this purpose (BMD-4M, for example).
Armament and Fire Characteristics
Firepower is the most important characteristic of any IFV.
- Bradley M2A3
- ATGM TOW-2B
- Maximum firing range – 4.5 km. ATGM attacks the tank roof with double explosively formed projectile, each of them has penetration of 150 mm.
- 25-mm projectiles M919 – maximum firing range is 5 km. Penetration at a distance of 2 km – 65 mm.
BMP-3М
- ATGM 9M117M1 “Arkan”
- Maximum firing range – 5.5 km, armor – 750 mm.
- Projectiles “Kerner”
- Maximum firing range – 4 km.
- Penetration at a distance of 1.5 km – 25 mm. Note the modification BMP-3 “Derivatsiya”, with 57-mm gun having a firing range of up to 12 km.
BMP-3M is inferior to Bradley in terms of armor penetration of piercing projectiles. The American advantage arises only through the use of projectiles with uranium cores, which is irrelevant when it comes to export – the United States do not allow the delivery of weapons with uranium elements. The characteristics of the Russian 57-mm projectiles are a priori superior to the 25-mm ammunition of M2A3, both in terms of range and armor penetration. Therefore, in case of a new combat module installation BMP-3 will receive a great advantage over its American counterpart. The BMP-3M modification achieves the advantage in firepower by having a 100-mm gun, which the M2A3 Bradley lacks.
Prospects
In addition to the existing line of the BMP-3 modifications well-proven in the Russian army as well as abroad, the advanced weapon platforms such as the “Armata”, “Kurganets-25”, and “Bumerang” are already being tested. Conceptually new IFV are being built on their bases, which will have to combine a high combat potential and an unprecedented level of protection and survivability of the crew.
Despite this, the BMP-3 will still be relevant for a long enough time, because the moment when the advanced weapons reach the state of full combat availability and overcome all their “adverse beginnings”, will hardly come sooner than in 10 years' time. Note that the BMP-1 and BMP-2, as the predecessors of the BMP-3, are still operated in many armies around the world.
The installation of the new combat uninhabited module will increase the relevance of the BMP-3 for another 15–20 years, and the relatively low price of the product compared with Western counterparts, will allow exporting the vehicle for a long enough time. Unsurprisingly, even Greece, the member of NATO, planned to buy a large consignment of BMP-3 (420 units), though the deal was suspended due to the financial crisis of 2008.
