More Airborne Armor

The Ivanovo-based 217th Parachute Regiment of VDV’s 98th Airborne Division is reportedly taking delivery of the eleventh battalion set of new armor today, according to local media.

Interfaks-AVN reports the 98th VDD will get 31 BMD-4M Sadovnitsa and six BTR-MDM Rakushka (shown above).

Introduction of the new armored vehicles looks like this (click image):

At the current pace, VDV seems likely to get one or two more battalion sets before the end of 2021.

Usually less than 40 armored vehicles (mostly BMD-4M), these eleven battalion sets represent about 400 new pieces of equipment so far.

Deliveries aren’t likely to end soon. A fully new armor inventory for the VDV probably means a total of 1,200 new vehicles. So maybe another 20 battalion sets with 800 vehicles. But the exact endpoint for new airborne armor procurement hasn’t been publicized.

The BMD-4M and BTR-MDM are big development and production undertakings that started before 2010 and haven’t proceeded quickly or smoothly, all Shoygu’s braggadocio about RF MOD rearmament notwithstanding.

One response to “More Airborne Armor

  1. As always nice bmpd on 217th PR getting battalion set of BMD-4M and BTR-MDM, great photogs. Bmpd assesses up to 380 of the former and 200 of the latter thus far. https://bit.ly/3yew7Rk

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