The BMD-1 is a Soviet UnionairborneInfantry fighting vehicle, which was introduced in 1969 and first seen by the West in 1970. BMD stands for ''Boyevaya Mashina Desanta'' (Боевая Машина Десанта, literally "Combat Vehicle of the Airborne") [http://www.milparade.com/Soderzhaniye.pdf †]. It can be dropped by parachute and although it resembles the BMP-1 it is in fact much smaller. The BMD-1 was used as a infantry fighting vehicle by the Red Army's "Desant" airborne divisions. It is armed with a 73 mm gun and three machine guns. An AT-3 Sagger launcher is mounted on the main gun. The BMD-2 is a BMD-1 variant equipped with a new turret, 30 mm cannon and AT-4 Spigot or AT-5 SpandrelATGM launchers.
The BMD-1's armor was made from cast magnesium alloy, in order to save weight. Combat experience in Afghanistan demonstrated that the armor itself would catch fire and burn quite merrily when hit with a weapon such as an Rocket propelled grenade, often killing the crew and passengers outright. Later variants of the BMD had aluminum armor instead.
The Russian military is currently considering replacing the BMD series altogether with the GAZ 3937, a very lightweight wheeled armored personnel carrier incorporating plastic and carbon fiber in its construction as well as aluminum. The GAZ 3937 can be air-dropped like the BMD, and is considerably lighter, less expensive to manufacture, and easier to maintain. It does not have the heavy armament of the BMD series, and is armed only with a PKM machine gun in an antiaircraft mount in front of the commander's hatch.
==See also==
* BMP-1, BMP-3
* List of AFVsArmoured personnel carriersRussian and Soviet armored personnel carriersCold War armored personnel carriersms:BMD-1
