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Ukraine has already turned into a giant training ground where concepts and weapon systems of NATO countries and Russia are tested in real combat conditions. The AvtoVzglyad portal
Extremely remarkable in its characteristics, the Russian infantry fighting vehicle BMP-3 was once poorly represented in the arsenal of the Russian army. But the course of the special operation in Ukraine showed that it could become the real victory weapon – especially in the face of Western counterparts, competitors, such as the American Bradley and the German Marder. It is no coincidence that Russian military factories have been intensively “clinking” the BMP-3 lately.
Western armored vehicles traditionally have more safety. The NATO military wanted (and got) confidence that the 30-mm automatic cannon projectiles, which are considered the most common in the Russian army, the BMP-2, will not harm their equipment and soldiers. This was at the expense of the relatively large weight of Bradley and Marder – 23 and 28 tons respectively.
In the Russian BMP-3, it “shrinks” to 18 tons – in order to parachute the car and transport the Mi-26 helicopter on the external noose. In addition, the Russian armored vehicle can swim – unlike the “American” and “German”. Such a small weight gives a huge advantage in mobility. Where the Marder is guaranteed to sit on its stomach during the thaw, the BMP-3 passes, as they say, “without suffocating.”
But for this, safety had to be sacrificed. The body of the BMP-3 is made of aluminum alloy, which provides protection against large-caliber bullets and shrapnel, but automatic cannon shells pierce it. Only the frontal armor can withstand a 30mm projectile. And even then – at distances of at least 300 meters. It may seem that this is a verdict for Russian technology in the face of Western competitors.
Not really. Largely thanks to the BMP-3’s unique set of weapons. The turret is equipped with both a 30mm machine gun and a 100mm cannon. And at the disposal of her crew are three 7.62 mm PKT machine guns. The gun is a descendant of the T-12 anti-tank rifled gun. It has 40 rounds of ammunition (22 of which are in the automatic loader). Among them are both explosive fragmentation and armor-piercing ammunition. In addition, the BMP-3 gun fires laser-guided missiles from the Kastet anti-tank complex. According to the personnel table, the car is said to have 8 such shells.
The power of ammunition BMP-3 makes it possible to hit modern tanks only from the side or from behind – their armor penetration does not exceed 700 mm. But in the case of a confrontation with Bradley or Marder, this does not matter at all.
Because even a 100mm explosive Russian projectile will almost certainly disable an enemy vehicle if it hits any part of the hull. Also keep in mind that due to the variety of types of shots, the BMP-3 can even replace a tank when eliminating fortified positions of enemy infantry. In her case, the 30mm automatic pistol acts only as an auxiliary caliber.
Well, the shells of the 25-mm Marder and Bradley automatic guns, their main armament, cannot solve the whole range of tasks when attacking, for example, a strong point. It is known that the Germans also placed a powerful 50 mm automatic cannon on the Marder. But it is not clear whether such vehicles are present among the 40 infantry fighting vehicles that arrived in Ukraine from Germany. Thus, the outcome of the BMP-3 duel with Marder or Bradley will most likely be determined by the very first effective hit – a burst of 25 mm armor-piercing shells in the aluminum side of the Russian vehicle or the only 100 mm ammunition that was in the steel box of NATO flew, reinforced with imposed armor technology.
Extremely remarkable in its characteristics, the Russian infantry fighting vehicle BMP-3 was once poorly represented in the arsenal of the Russian army. But the course of the special operation in Ukraine showed that it could become the real victory weapon – especially in the face of Western counterparts, competitors, such as the American Bradley and the German Marder. It is no coincidence that Russian military factories have been intensively “clinking” the BMP-3 lately.
Western armored vehicles traditionally have more safety. The NATO military wanted (and got) confidence that the 30-mm automatic cannon projectiles, which are considered the most common in the Russian army, the BMP-2, will not harm their equipment and soldiers. This was at the expense of the relatively large weight of Bradley and Marder – 23 and 28 tons respectively.
In the Russian BMP-3, it “shrinks” to 18 tons – in order to parachute the car and transport the Mi-26 helicopter on the external noose. In addition, the Russian armored vehicle can swim – unlike the “American” and “German”. Such a small weight gives a huge advantage in mobility. Where the Marder is guaranteed to sit on its stomach during the thaw, the BMP-3 passes, as they say, “without suffocating.”
But for this, safety had to be sacrificed. The body of the BMP-3 is made of aluminum alloy, which provides protection against large-caliber bullets and shrapnel, but automatic cannon shells pierce it. Only the frontal armor can withstand a 30mm projectile. And even then – at distances of at least 300 meters. It may seem that this is a verdict for Russian technology in the face of Western competitors.
Not really. Largely thanks to the BMP-3’s unique set of weapons. The turret is equipped with both a 30mm machine gun and a 100mm cannon. And at the disposal of her crew are three 7.62 mm PKT machine guns. The gun is a descendant of the T-12 anti-tank rifled gun. It has 40 rounds of ammunition (22 of which are in the automatic loader). Among them are both explosive fragmentation and armor-piercing ammunition. In addition, the BMP-3 gun fires laser-guided missiles from the Kastet anti-tank complex. According to the personnel table, the car is said to have 8 such shells.
The power of ammunition BMP-3 makes it possible to hit modern tanks only from the side or from behind – their armor penetration does not exceed 700 mm. But in the case of a confrontation with Bradley or Marder, this does not matter at all.
Because even a 100mm explosive Russian projectile will almost certainly disable an enemy vehicle if it hits any part of the hull. Also keep in mind that due to the variety of types of shots, the BMP-3 can even replace a tank when eliminating fortified positions of enemy infantry. In her case, the 30mm automatic pistol acts only as an auxiliary caliber.
Well, the shells of the 25-mm Marder and Bradley automatic guns, their main armament, cannot solve the whole range of tasks when attacking, for example, a strong point. It is known that the Germans also placed a powerful 50 mm automatic cannon on the Marder. But it is not clear whether such vehicles are present among the 40 infantry fighting vehicles that arrived in Ukraine from Germany. Thus, the outcome of the BMP-3 duel with Marder or Bradley will most likely be determined by the very first effective hit – a burst of 25 mm armor-piercing shells in the aluminum side of the Russian vehicle or the only 100 mm ammunition that was in the NATO steel box flew, reinforced with imposed armor technology.
Source: Avto Vzglyad
Donald Salinas is an experienced automobile journalist and writer for Div Bracket. He brings his readers the latest news and developments from the world of automobiles, offering a unique and knowledgeable perspective on the latest trends and innovations in the automotive industry.
