BMP-3
The BMP-3 infantry combat vehicle entered production in the late 1980s. It is in service with the Russia Army and over 600 have been exported to a number of countries, including United Arab Emirates (390 vehicles), Cyprus, Kuwait (110) and South Korea. Kurganmashzavod of Kurgan, Russian Federation manufactures the chassis and the Instrument Design Bureau (KBP) of Tula is responsible for the turret. It is a tracked, armoured, amphibious vehicle designed to engage armoured ground and air targets while stationary, on the move and afloat. South Korea agreed to purchase a further 30 BMP-3 vehicles in August 2002.
BMP-3
A command version, the BMP-3K, is available, which is the same as the basic BMP-3, but with additional communications and navigation equipment. A version designed for more sustained amphibious operation is the BMP-3F. Changes in construction allow movement afloat in Sea State 3 and firing with necessary accuracy in Sea State 2. The BMP-3F can endure continuous amphibious operation for seven hours. A reconnaissance version, the BRM-3K, is in service with the Russian Army.
UPGRADED BMP-3M VEHICLE
KBP and Kurganmashzavod have upgraded the vehicle with a new turret and engines. The upgraded vehicle is called the BMP-3M and the new turret includes a new automatic fire control system with digital computer, new BZS1 gunner's sight with SAGEM thermal imager and laser illuminator, TKN-AI commander's periscope with laser infrared illuminator and new ammunition loading system. The BMP-3M will also be able to fire ammunition types including new 100mm laser-guided projectiles, new 100mm HE-FRAG (high explosive fragmentation) rounds and new 30mm APSDS (armour piercing discarding sabot) rounds. Additional passive armour protection is effective against 12.7mm armour-piercing rounds from a range of 50m. Explosive reactive armour is available as an option. The new uprated engine is the UTD-32, which is rated at 660hp.
BMP-3 ARMAMENT
The main armament of the BMP-3 is a 100mm 2A70 semi-automatic rifled gun/missile launcher, which is stabilised in two axes and can fire either 3UOF HE-FRAG (High Explosive-Fragmentation) rounds or 3UBK10 anti-tank guided missiles. Effective range for the HE-FRAG round is 4,000m. Muzzle velocity is 250m/s. 22 HE-FRAG rounds can be carried in the automatic loader, total ammunition load being 40 rounds. Rate of fire is 10 rounds per minute.
The gun fires the 3UBK10 anti-tank guided missile round, which consists of the 9M117 laser beamriding missile and container. This missile is used in the Bastion missile system (NATO designation AT-10 Stabber). The missile can engage tanks with explosive reactive armour (ERA) as well as slow, low-flying targets such as helicopters. Range is 100 to 4,000m. Hit probability is given as at least 0.8 with armour penetration of 600mm. Ammunition load is 8 rounds.
Armament also includes a 30mm 2A72 automatic gun, stabilised in two axes, which fires 3UOR-6 and 3UOR-8 rounds. Ammunition load is 500 AP (Armour-Piercing) or HE-FRAG rounds. Rate of fire is more than 300 rounds/min and range is 1,500 to 2,000m. There are also one 7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun and two 7.62 bow machine guns.
SELF-PROTECTION
The BMP-3 can be fitted with the Arena Defensive Aids suite, developed by KBM Kolumna. The system consists of target detection and tracking radar, computer and processing unit and protective ammunition. The system is automatic: the radar passes tracking data to the computer, which selects the number of ammunition rounds and controls firing. The selected ammunition is then expelled as a directed field. The vehicle can also be fitted with the Shtora defensive aids system which counters anti-tank guided weapons with SACLOS (semi-automatic command-to-line-of-sight).
The hull and turret are constructed from aluminium alloy armour. Protection also includes steel external straps fitted on the turret, side armour displacement panels and a double-bottom at the front of the vehicle. NBC equipment includes a filter ventilation unit as well as hermetic sealing. This system is located in the rear of the vehicle, as is the ejection cooling system which, coupled with the reduced length of the gas ventilation system exhaust, serves to reduce the tank's thermal signature.
FIRE CONTROL AND OBSERVATION
The fire control system is automatic with manual override for both gunner and commander. It includes a 1V539 ballistic computer, 2E52 electro-mechanical armament stabiliser and 1D16 laser rangefinder. The gunner has a 1K13-2 main sight, a combined image-intensified day/night sight and PPD-1 standby day sight. The commander has a 1PZ-10 day sight and TKN-3 combined day and image-intensified night sight.
The French company SAGEM, with Kurganmashzavod and Peleng of Belarus, have developed the Namut thermal sight for the BMP-3. This sight is based on the SAGEM Athos eight - twelve micron three field of view thermal imager and is fitted to the BMP-3 ICV's delivered to the United Arab Emirates.
PROPULSION
The engine is the V-shaped UTD-29 diesel engine, which produces 500hp. The transversal mount of the engine enables the wheel drive, cardan shaft for the waterjet drives and electric bilge pump to be located underneath. Transmission is hydromechanical with a hydrostatic gearbox for the steering gear and power take-off for the water jets.
The BMP-3 vehicle weighs 18.7t and is capable of a maximum speed of 70km/h and range of 600km on roads.
Additional Sources: www.army-technology.com
www.eosinc.com
www.globalsecurity.org
members.tripod.com/~aliabuaziz
homepage3.nifty.com/tompei
www.tanksforsale.co.uk
www.hri.org
www.toy-soldiers.ca
www.army.gr
cplshaunwebb.com
www.taos-inc.com/foreignmat
www.aeronautics.ru
www.serwis-militarny.net
www.gamer.no
www.strategie.com.pl/dzial
www.kurganmash.ru
mil.eastday.com
armor.kiev.ua
On This Day In History
Birthdates which occurred on July 13:
1396 Philip the Good Duke of Burgundy
1527 John Dee London, alchemist/astrologer/mathematician
1608 Ferdinand III, King of Hungary/Bohemia/German Emperor (1637-57)
1793 John Clare Northamptonshire peasant poet (Shepard's Calendar)
1815 James Alexander Seddon, Secy War (Confederacy), died in 1880
1821 Nathan Bedford Forrest Tennessee, brilliant cavalry leader, Lt Gen
1863 Emma Mary Wooley educator (Mary Anna Wells)
1901 Mickey "Toy Bulldog" Walker welterweight boxing champ (1922-26)
1913 Dave Garroway Schnectady NY, TV host (Today Show)
1928 Bob Crane Waterbury Ct, actor (Hogan's Heroes)
1934 Alexei S Yeliseyev cosmonaut (Soyuz 5, 8, 10)
1935 Jack Kemp (Rep-R-NY)/QB Buffalo Bills/US Secretary of Housing (1989- )
1940 Patrick Stewart actor (Capt Picard-Star Trek Next Generation)
1940 Paul Prudhomme cajun chef
1942 Harrison Ford actor (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Blade Runner)
1942 Roger McGuinn rocker (Byrds-Turn Turn Turn, Mr Tambourine Man)
1946 Richard "Cheech" Marin comedian (Cheech & Chong-Up in Smoke)
1950 George D "Pinky" Nelson Iowa, PhD/astro (STS 41C, STS 61-C, STS-26)
1954 Louise Mandrell Corpus Christi Tx, country singer (Mandrell Sisters)
1975 Danielle Boatwright, Kansas, Miss USA (Kansas-2nd-1996)
Deaths which occurred on July 13:
0574 John III, Italian Pope (561-74), dies
0939 Leo VII, Italian Pope (936-39), dies
1024 Henry II, the Monk, German King (1002-24), dies
1105 Rashi, [Rabbi Shlomo Yitzaki], Jewish intellectual, dies
1762 James Bradley 3rd Astronomer Royal, dies
1785 Stephen Hopkins, US judge/signer (Decl of Independence), dies at 78
1793 Jean Paul Marat French revolutionary, murdered by Charlotte Corday
1890 John C Fremont declared Republic of California, dies at 76
1946 Alfred Stieglitz, US photographer/art dealer (Camera Work), dies at 82
1988 Samuel L Mendel, oldest US war veteran, dies at 104
1989 Abdul Rahman Qassemlu, Iran Kurds leader, murdered
1993 Davey Allisson, race car drive, dies in a plane crash at 32
Reported: MISSING in ACTION
1963 SAM TRINH A---VIETNAM
[COMMANDO RELEASED 03/27/83 ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1965 GALLANT HENRY J.---TAMPA FL.
[AIR GND SEARCH NEG]
1965 TAYLOR FRED---CASTLEWOOD VA.
[ARVN AIR GND SEARCH NEG]
1968 HURST JOHN CLARK---LUFKIN TX.
POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.
On this day...
0432 -BC- Origin of Metonic Cycle
0574 John III ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1568 Dean of St Paul's Cathedral perfects a way to bottle beer
1643 Battle at Roundway Down: Royalists beat parliamentary armies
1787 Congress establishes Northwest Territory (excludes slavery)
1793 Pierre Dupont de Nemours is ordered arrested in Paris on charges of plotting with rebels against the French Revolutionary National Assembly
1794 Robespierre boycotts the Committee of Public Safety and the National Convention after being denounced as a dictator
1832 Source of Mississippi River discovered (Henry R Schoolcraft)
1836 US patent #1 (after 9,957 unnumbered patents), for locomotive wheels
1854 US forces shell & burn San Juan del Norte, Nicaragua
1861 Battle of Corrick's Ford, VA (Carrick's Ford) - Union army takes total control of western Virginia CS20 US53
1862 Battle of Murfreesboro, TN (Forrest's Raid)
1863 Anti-draft mobs lynch blacks in NYC; about 1,000 die
1865 Horace Greeley advises his readers to "Go west young man"
1865 PT Barnum's museum burns down
1868 Oscar J Dunn, former slave, installed as lt governor of Louisiana
1878 The Treaty of Berlin amended the terms of the Treaty of San Stefano, which had ended the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78.
1898 Guglielmo Marconi patents the radio
1917 Vision of Virgin Mary appeared to children of Fatima, Portugal
1919 Chic White Sox pitcher Carl Mays walks off mound blaming teammates for lack of support afield
1919 Race riots in Longview & Gregg counties Texas
1930 Sarnoff reports in NY Times "TV would be a theater in every home"
1934 Babe Ruth hits HR #700 against Detroit
1936 112ø F (44ø C), Mio, Michigan (state record)
1936 114ø F (46ø C), Wisconsin Dells, Wisc. (state record)
1942 5,000 Jews of Rovno Polish Ukraine, executed by nazis
1942 German occupiers imprison 800 prominent Dutch as hostages
1942 SS shoots 1,500 Jews in Josefov Poland
1943 Greatest tank battle in history ends with Russia's defeat of Germany at Kursk, almost 6,000 tanks take part, 2,900 were lost by Germany
1949 Pope Pius XII excommunicates communist catholics
1960 Democratic Natl convention nominates Sen John F Kennedy for president
1966 Richard Speck, murders 8 nurses in Chicago
1967 Race riots break out in Newark, 27 die
1972 LA Rams (Irsay) & Baltimore Colts (Rosenbloom) swap owners
1975 8.5" (21.6 cm) of rainfall, Dover, Delaware (state record)
1978 Alexander Ginzburg sentenced by Soviet court to 8 years
1985 Yankees retire Roger Maris (#9) & Elston Howard (#32) uniforms
1987 Federal judge throws out Bette Midler's $10 million suit against Ford Motor Co, who used a sound alike voice for their TV commercials
2000 Fiji's coup leaders released their remaining 18 captives, ending a 2-month-old parliamentary hostage crisis.
Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"
France : La Retraite aux Flambeaux/Night Watch day
Japan : Bon Festival or Feast of Lanterns starts
Rhodesia : Founder's Day/Rhode's Day
International Puzzle Day
National Peach Month
Religious Observances
Christian : Festival of Our Lady of Fatima
RC : Commemoration of St Anacletus I, pope (c 76-c 88), martyr
RC : Feast of St Eugenius, bishop of Carthage, confessor
RC : Memorial of St Henry II (the Pious), emperor (opt)
Religious History
1105 Death of Rashi (b.1040), medieval Jewish Bible scholar. His name is a Hebrewacrostic for Rabbi Shelomoh ben Isaac. Rashi was the leading rabbinic commentator in hisday on the Old Testament and Talmud.
1769 Birth of Thomas Kelly, Irish Episcopal clergyman and author of 765 hymns,including 'Praise the Savior, Ye Who Know Him.'
1778 Anglican clergyman and hymnwriter John Newton wrote in a letter: 'It is perhapsthe highest triumph we can obtain over bigotry when we are able to bear with bigotsthemselves.'
1815 President John Adams wrote in a letter: 'The Hebrews have done more to civilizemen than any other nation. If I were an atheist,... I should still believe fate had ordainedthe Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations.'
1886 Birth of Father Edward Flanagan, American Catholic parish priest. Believing therewas 'no such thing as a bad boy,' in 1922 he organized Boys Town near Omaha, Nebraska.
Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.
Thought for the day :
"Learning music by reading about it, Is like making love by mail."
Things To Do If You Ever Became An Evil Overlord...
No matter how well it would perform, NEVER construct any sort of machinery which is completely indestructible except for one small and virtually inaccessible vulnerable spot.
PUNishment of the the day...
A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion
Dumb Laws...
Guelph Ontario Canada...
The city is classified as a no-pee zone.
Fifty Ways To Annoy Osama bin Laden If You're Invited To A Dinner Party At His Secret Afghan Lair...
1. Point out the lice in his beard to make him feel self-conscious.
