After World War II, the standard reconnaissance vehicle in Soviet army was a light armored car BA-64 (created in 1942). Since the late 1950s it was quickly replaced by the BRDM-1 (4x4) amphibious reconnaissance vehicle, which was also used by the Warsaw Pact countries and exported to many countries in Africa and the Middle East. It was not used by Hungary, because. this country itself produced a similar machine FUG (or OT-65), which looks very similar, but has a rear engine. FUG is also used in Czechoslovakia and Poland. In most parts of the armed forces of the Union of Independent States, the BRDM-1 has now been replaced by the more advanced BRDM-2.
The layout of the BRDM-1 is similar to the automobile one - the engine compartment in front, the driver and commander (control compartment) in the center and a small habitable compartment in the stern. The only entrance to the car is through the hatches in the roof and aft sheet of the habitable compartment. between front and rear wheels there are two additional wheels on each side of the hull, which are lowered by the driver to the ground when crossing ditches or when driving over rough terrain. This feature was later transferred to the BRDM-2. There is a mandatory centralized tire pressure regulation system that allows the driver to change the tire pressure depending on the road conditions: for example, the tires are flat when driving on sand, but on the road they are fully inflated. The BRDM-1 is fully amphibious, moving through water at a speed of 9 km / h, driven by one HP on the back of the hull. Before entering the water, the wave protection shield on the front of the hull rises, and the pumping pumps are turned on.
The standard armament of the BRDM-1 is one 7.62-mm SGMB machine gun mounted on the front of the roof with horizontal firing angles of 90 ° (45 ° to the left and right), vertically - from minus 6 to + 23.5 °. Ammunition - 1070 rounds. Some vehicles were seen with the same machine gun in the rear and with a 12.7 mm DShKM machine gun in the front.
The BRDM-U command vehicle has optional equipment communications, and the BRDM-RH radiological and chemical reconnaissance vehicle is used to determine the routes of passage through the contaminated area. In the aft part of the hull, the latter has two tripods containing poles and flags; if necessary, these tripods turn 90 ° above the stern of the machine, which makes it possible to stick poles with flags into the ground.
There are also three modifications of the BRDM-1 armed with anti-tank guided missiles. The first model has three AT-1 Snapper anti-tank guided missiles with a firing range of 2500 m. The missiles on their guides are placed under armor protection and rise above the roof of the vehicle for launch. The second model is the same, but with four Suetter anti-tank guided missiles with a range of 3000 m; spare missiles are placed inside the hull. The wire-guided missile, which proved to be very effective in the 1973 war in the Middle East, can be launched and controlled both from a vehicle and from a remote control unit with a sight, remote from the vehicle at a distance of up to 80 m.
The performance characteristics of the BRDM-1
- Crew, people: 3;
- Weight, t: 5,6;
- Dimensions, m: length 5.70; width 2.25; height 1.90;
- Power point: one 6-cylinder Gas engine power, hp (kW): 90 (67);
- Maximum speed, km/h: 80;
- Power reserve, km: 500;
- Overcome obstacles:
- slope steepness, %: 60;
- vertical wall height, m: 0.40;
- fording depth -
BRDM was a floating wheeled two-axle with both driving axles closed car, equipped with a device for overcoming trenches and trenches and a centralized tire inflation system.
In the design of the BRDM were used circuit diagram layout and main units of the BTR-40 armored personnel carrier. The installation of the engine in the elongated front of the hull provided for the dismounting of the crew members through two aft doors, but worsened visibility from the driver's seat.
In the department of management, located in the middle part of the body, the driver and commander of the vehicle were placed. branch power plant and the department of management was divided by a partition. fighting compartment occupied the middle and aft part of the hull. The SGMB machine gun was mounted on a bracket in front of the fighting compartment.
The armored sealed hull was shaped to provide minimal resistance to movement afloat. It was welded from armor plates with a thickness of 6 mm, 8 mm and 12 mm and was the basis for mounting the units and equipment of the machine. From above, a cabin was welded to the hull, in the roof of which there was a hatch with two hinged covers for landing and exiting the driver and commander. The upper frontal sheet had an angle of inclination of 85 degrees.
The GAZ-40P carburetor engine was installed on the BRDM. The mechanical transmission included a single-plate clutch, 4-speed gearbox, 2-speed transfer case, cardan gears, main gears with bevel differentials, from which the drive to the drive wheels was carried out.
The machine was equipped with additional pneumatic wheels located in the middle part of the hull, two on each side. They were carried out by leading mechanical drive from transmission. Additional wheels were lowered and raised when overcoming trenches up to 1.2 m wide with the help of hydraulic lifts, like an aircraft landing gear.
A water cannon was installed in the stern of the hull. The four-blade propeller sucked in water through the intake pipe located on the bottom and threw it out through the hole in the rear hull sheet. While moving on land, this hole was closed with an armored flap. Reverse on the water is provided by changing the direction of rotation of the propeller. To control the machine afloat, water rudders mounted in the water jet tube and the front turning wheels of the machine were used. The drive to the rudders was combined with the drive to control the wheels. In the event of a water jet failure, the car could move due to the rotation of the wheels when the second or third gear was engaged. To prevent the flooding of the power compartment through the ventilation holes while sailing, a wave-reflective shield was installed on the machine. When moving on land, it was installed in the lower position to improve visibility and increase protection of the lower part of the hull.
The pneumatic tires of the main propulsion unit were connected to an air pressure control system. The suspension consisted of four longitudinal semi-elliptical springs and 8 hydraulic shock absorbers. Self-extraction of the machine when stuck was carried out using a capstan with a cable length of 50 m, mounted in front of the machine body.
Armored reconnaissance and patrol vehicle
The development of an armored reconnaissance and patrol vehicle (BRDM) began at the end of 1954 at the Design Bureau of the Gorky Automobile Plant and was put into service by order of the USSR Minister of Defense dated 01/10/1958. It was in serial production from 1957 to 1966 Leading designer V.K. Rubtsov.
According to the terms of reference new armored car had to swim confidently, even when the wave height reached 0.5 m, overcome complex profile obstacles on land, including ditches and trenches up to 1.2 m wide.
Initially, it was supposed to create the BRDM as a floating modification of the well-developed and mastered BTR-40 in the troops (the vehicle was even assigned the BTR-40P index). But in the course of the work, it became obvious that it would not be possible to confine ourselves to a simple modification of an existing product. Started to take shape new car, which has not only domestic, but also world analogues. The requirements of the military to overcome trenches and trenches led to the development of a unique chassis, consisting of a main four-wheel drive and four additional wheels installed in the central part of the vehicle, which serve to overcome trenches. The wheels, if necessary, could be lowered and set in motion with the help of a special transmission. Thus, the BRDM-1 was transformed from a four-wheeled into an eight-wheeled vehicle capable of forcing trenches up to 1.22 m wide. The main wheels had centralized system swap, worked out on the BTR-40 and BTR-152.
The first sample of the BRDM was built in February 1956. In the future, several more cars joined him, subjected to very strict tests (in particular, one of the BRDM forced swimming Kerch Strait). At the end of 1957, an experimental series of BRDM was produced. A year later, the BRDM was equipped with an armored roof with two hatches, which significantly increased the survivability of the vehicles, and then armed with a more modern PKT machine gun. In 1958, the BRDM-1 was officially adopted and launched into a large series that lasted until 1966. In general, the car turned out to be successful - mobile, maneuverable, with high cross-country ability and good buoyancy. According to the main indicators, the BRDM, widely used by intelligence units, communications officers, was superior to foreign combat vehicles similar purpose.
The BRDM-1 has a pressurized load-bearing body welded from rolled armor plates 6, 8 and 12 mm thick. The upper frontal sheet had an angle of inclination of 85 degrees. An armored cabin with two inspection hatches equipped with bulletproof glass blocks is welded on the hull. In the rear wall of the cabin there is a double-leaf hatch.
In the design of the BRDM-1, the layout diagram and the main units of the BTR-40 armored personnel carrier were used. The installation of the engine in the elongated front of the hull provided for the dismounting of the crew members through two aft doors, but worsened visibility from the driver's seat.
In the department of management, located in the middle part of the body, the driver and commander of the vehicle were placed. The power plant compartment and the control compartment were separated by a partition. The fighting compartment occupied the middle and aft parts of the hull. Ahead, on a swivel, an SGMV heavy machine gun (1250 rounds of ammunition), usually located in the wheelhouse, was openly mounted. On the stern and on the sides there were loopholes for firing from the personal weapons of the crew and paratroopers. All vehicles were equipped with tank radios.
A forced six-cylinder was installed on the car carbureted engine liquid cooling GAZ-40P. To provide him with “comfortable” working conditions afloat, when the air intake covers are battened down, cooling is carried out by outboard water through a heat exchanger. The oversized radiator is equipped with a system reverse current air and has a powerful fan driven by the engine through cardan shaft. Part mechanical transmission included single-plate clutch, 4 step box gears, 2-speed transfer case, cardan gears, main gears with bevel differentials, from which the drive to the drive wheels was carried out.
The suspension consisted of four longitudinal semi-elliptical springs and 8 hydraulic shock absorbers. Self-extraction of the machine when stuck was carried out using a capstan with a cable length of 50 m, mounted in front of the machine body.
This machine was the first to use hermetic, self-adjusting brakes, completely protected from moisture and dust. Their outer drums cooled well even when working hard. Oversized tires with adjustable pressure had a centralized pumping system with an internal - through the wheel hub - air supply. A powerful compressor with a receiver in the event of a lumbago of tires made up for air leakage.
Elastic tires, durable handlebar, reinforced springs on rubber cushions with eight hydraulic shock absorbers made it possible to significantly increase average speeds when driving off-road. The car could overcome slopes up to 31 °, snow up to 0.65 m deep and any sands.
For movement on water, it was originally intended to use the traditional propeller screw. However, later it was decided to use a water cannon designed for the PT-76 amphibious tank. The water cannon was installed in the aft part of the hull. Such a mover was more compact and "survivable". In addition, a water cannon could also be used to pump water out of the machine body. The maneuverability on the water also increased - the turning radius was only 1.5 m. The four-bladed propeller sucked in water through the intake pipe located on the bottom and threw it out through the hole in the aft hull sheet. While moving on land, this hole was closed with an armored flap. Reversing on the water is provided by changing the direction of rotation of the propeller. To control the machine afloat, water rudders mounted in the water jet tube and the front turning wheels of the machine were used. The drive to the rudders was combined with the drive to control the wheels. In the event of a water jet failure, the car could move due to the rotation of the wheels when the second or third gear was engaged. To prevent the flooding of the power compartment through the ventilation holes while sailing, a wave-reflective shield was installed on the machine. When moving on land, it was installed in the lower position to improve visibility and increase protection of the lower part of the hull.
BRDM in large quantities was supplied to the Soviet Army, and also transferred to the allies under the Warsaw Pact and exported. She was equipped with parts of the Cuban army. The BRDM was also used in the jungles of South Vietnam, where it manifested itself at the right time. high permeability. Soviet reconnaissance units on the BRDM were the first to enter the streets of Czechoslovak cities in August 1968, and in October 1973, the Egyptian "commandos" planted on the BRDM, unexpectedly for the Israelis, crossed the Suez Canal, holding the bridgehead until the main forces approached.
Serial production of the BRDM was carried out from 1957 to 1966, last years the machine was produced in parallel with the improved BRDM-2, created on its basis.
Currently, the BRDM-1 is in service with the army of Syria, Egypt, Israel, Cuba, Albania, Mozambique, Congo, Angola, Ethiopia, Russia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Hungary, Namibia, Zambia, Vietnam.
Specifications BRDM-1
| Classification | combat reconnaissance vehicle/ armored car |
| Combat weight | 5.6 t |
| The layout diagram of the power compartment in the frontal part of the machine, the combined combat and control - in the stern | |
| Crew | 2 people |
| landing | 3 people |
| Length | 5.7 m |
| Width | 2.25 m |
| roof height | 1.9 m |
| Machine gun height | 2.295 m |
| Track | 1.65 m |
| Base | 2.8 m |
| Clearance | 0.315 m |
| Booking | |
| armor type | steel rolled |
| Forehead of the hull | 7-11 mm |
| Hull board | 7 mm |
| Hull feed | 7 mm |
| Bottom | 4 mm |
| Hull roof | 5 mm |
| Forehead felling | 11 mm |
| cabin board | 7 mm |
| felling feed | 7 mm |
| Cabin roof | 5 mm |
| machine guns | 7.62 mm SGMB arr. 1949 |
| engine's type | in-line, 6-cylinder liquid-cooled carburetor |
| Power | 85-90 hp |
| highway speed | 80 km/h |
| Cross country speed | 9 km/h afloat |
| Highway range | 500 km |
| Cross-country range | 85 km |
| Specific power | 15.2-16.1 hp/t |
| Wheel formula | 4x4 + 4x4 |
| Ground pressure | 0.5-3.0 kg / cm 2 |
| Climbability | 30° |
| climbable wall | 0.4 m |
| Crossable ditch | 1.22 m |
| Crossable ford | floats |
Soviet combat reconnaissance vehicle of the 1950s, according to Western classification, it is also sometimes referred to as an armored car. It was created in 1954-1956 at the GAZ Design Bureau to replace the BTR-40 light armored personnel carrier as the standard light reconnaissance, command and communications vehicle of the Soviet Army. Compared to its predecessor, the BRDM had cross-country ability due to the use of a chassis with two additional pairs of lowered wheels and amphibious capability, as well as a greater power reserve.
Serial production of the BRDM was carried out from 1957 to 1966, in recent years the car was produced in parallel with the improved BRDM-2, created on its basis. In addition to the main version, the BRDM served as the basis for the creation of a number of specialized machines, primarily self-propelled anti-tank systems; in total, about 10,000 cars of all types were produced. BRDM was used by Soviet ground, airborne troops and marines up until the end of the 1970s. The BRDM was also actively exported, about 1,500 units were delivered to at least 21 countries of the world, and although, as of 2010, they were decommissioned in most of these states, some countries continue to use vehicles of this type.
Is in service
Afghanistan - some BRDM-1 and BRDM-2, as of 2010
-Vietnam - 100 BRDM-1 and BRDM-2, as of 2010
-Guinea - 25 BRDM-1 and BRDM-2, as of 2010
-Zambia - 70 BRDM-1 and BRDM-2, as of 2010
-Republic of the Congo - 25 BRDM-1 and BRDM-2, as of 2010
-Cuba - a certain amount of BRDM-1 and BRDM-2, as of 2010
-Mozambique - 30 BRDM-1 and BRDM-2, as of 2010
- Sudan - 60 BRDM-1 and BRDM-2, as of 2010
-Eritrea - 40 BRDM-1 and BRDM-2, as of 2010
Characteristics
Classification: combat reconnaissance vehicle / armored car
- Combat weight, t: 5.6
-Layout diagram: power compartment in the frontal part of the vehicle, combined combat and control - in the stern
- Crew, people: 2
- Landing, pers.: 3
-Dimensions:
- Case length, mm: 5700
- Hull width, mm: 2250
-Height, mm: 1900 on the roof, 2295 on the machine gun
- Base, mm: 2800
- Track, mm: 1650
-Clearance, mm: 315
-Booking:
- Armor type: rolled steel
- Forehead of the hull, mm / city: 7-11
- Hull board, mm/deg.: 7
- Hull feed, mm / city: 7
- Bottom, mm: 4
- Hull roof, mm: 5
-Forehead felling, mm/deg.: 11
- Cutting board, mm/deg.: 7
- Cutting feed, mm / city: 7
- Roof of the felling, mm/deg.: 5
-Armament:
-Machine guns: 1 x 7.62 mm SGMB arr. 1949
-Mobility:
- Manufacturer: Gorky car factory Brand: GAZ-40P Type: carbureted gasoline Volume: 3 48 cc. Max Power: 90 hp at 3400 rpm Maximum torque: 220 6 Nm Configuration: in-line, 6-cyl. Cylinders: 6 Bore: 82 mm Stroke: 110 mm Compression ratio: 6.7 Cooling: liquid Cycle (number of cycles): 4 Cylinder firing order: 1-5-3-6-2-4 Recommended fuel: B-70
-Speed on the highway, km / h: 80
- Speed over rough terrain, km / h: 25-30 on dirt road 9 afloat
- Cruising on the highway, km: 500
- Cruising range over rough terrain, km: 85 afloat
- Specific power, l. s./t: 15.2-16.1
-Wheel formula: 4x4 ( additional wheels raised) 8x8 (all wheels)
- Suspension type: independent on leaf springs with hydraulic shock absorbers
- Specific ground pressure, kg/sq.cm: adjustable, 0.5-3.0
- Climbability, deg.: 42
- overcome wall, m: 0.4
- Crossable moat, m: 1.22
- Crossable ford, m: floats
