BRDM-2

BRDM-2
BRDM-2 on a military parade, 1 March 1983.
Type	Amphibious Armoured Scout Car
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1962–present
Used by	See Operators
Wars	See Service History
Production history
Designer	V. K. Rubtsov
Manufacturer	Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod (GAZ) in Nizhny Novgorod
Produced	1962–1989
Number built	7,200
Variants	See Variants
Specifications
Weight	7 tonnes (7.7 short tons; 6.9 long tons)
Length	5.75 m (18 ft 10 in)
Width	2.37 m (7 ft 9 in)
Height	2.31 m (7 ft 7 in)
Crew	4 (driver, co-driver, commander, gunner)
Armor	Welded steel 10 mm turret front 7 mm turret sides, rear and top 14 mm hull nose plate 5 mm hull, upper front 7 mm hull lower front, sides, rear and top 2 mm hull front floor 3 mm hull rear floor
Main armament	14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun (500 rounds)
Secondary armament	7.62 mm PKT coaxial general-purpose machine gun (2,000 rounds)
Engine	GAZ-41 gasoline V-8 140 hp (104 kW) at 3,400 rpm
Power/weight	18.2 hp/tonne (13.5 kW/tonne)
Suspension	Wheeled 4x4 (+ 4 auxiliary wheels), leaf springs with hydraulic shock absorbers
Ground clearance	430 mm (17 in)
Fuel capacity	290 l (64 imp gal; 77 US gal)
Operational range	750 km (470 mi)
Speed	100 km/h (62 mph) (road) 10 km/h (6.2 mph) (water)

The BRDM-2 (Boyevaya Razvedyvatelnaya Dozornaya Mashina, Боевая Разведывательная Дозорная Машина, literally "Combat Reconnaissance/Patrol Vehicle") is an amphibious armoured patrol car used by Russia and the former Soviet Union. It was also known under the designations BTR-40PB, BTR-40P-2 and GAZ 41-08. This vehicle, like many other Soviet designs, has been exported extensively and is in use in at least 38 countries. It was intended to replace the earlier BRDM-1, compared to which it had improved amphibious capabilities and better armament.

After a few years of use by the Soviet Army, the limitations and drawbacks of the BRDM-1 became obvious. The vehicle had no turret and to operate the armament the gunner had to open a hatch and expose himself to enemy fire. The vehicle was not fitted with an NBC protection system, and had no night vision equipment by default. The vehicle also didn't have any kind of special sights, which undermined its usability as a reconnaissance vehicle. These drawbacks encouraged the design team to create a new vehicle which would suit the modern battlefield.

The BRDM-2 has a crew of four; a driver, a co-driver, a commander, and a gunner. It has two pairs of chain-driven belly wheels lowered by the driver, which allow trench crossing just like its predecessor, and a centralized tire pressure regulation system, which can be used to adjust the tire pressure of all four tires or individual tires while the vehicle is in motion to suit to the ground conditions.

Externally, it differs from the BRDM-1 by having a larger, box-like hull. It retains the boat-like bow of the BRDM-1. However, the crew compartment is now further forward and the new GAZ-41 gasoline V-8 engine is in the rear. Thanks to this, the engine is much better protected from enemy fire. The engine compartment is also separated from the crew compartment by an armoured barrier.

The driver's and commander's stations are in the front of the vehicle, with the driver positioned on the left and commander on the right. Both of them sit in front of a bulletproof windscreen, which provides them with their primary view of the battlefield. When in combat, the windscreen can be additionally protected by twin armoured shutters. When the shutters are in their opened position, they protect the driver and commander from being blinded by the sunlight and ensure that the windscreen won't be blurred by rain or snow. The commander and driver have periscopes allowing both of them a more detailed view of the surrounding terrain. The commander has six TNP-A periscopes (five in the front and one on the side of the vehicle), a TPKU-2B day sight and a TKN-1 night sight. The driver has four TNP-A periscopes (all in the front), one of which can be replaced by a TWN-2B night vision device. The gunner is in the turret during combat, but when traveling he is seated inside the hull.