BMD-2

A lightweight, air-droppable amphibious infantry fighting vehicle developed for Russian VDV airborne forces, armed with a 30 mm autocannon in place of the BMD-1's low-pressure gun. It remains in service with VDV units and has seen combat use in Ukraine.

In service since 1985 · 4 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

km/h

500

km range

30.4

hp/t

mm gun

8,000

Several performance figures for Russia-origin systems are manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification. Treat these specs as directional, not tested values.

Pricing: No public unit cost

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

Russian state channel

Rosoboronexport monopoly; Western sanctions exposure and payment/logistics risk for many buyers.

Channel: Rosoboronexport (state)

Fielded & proven

Established · 4 operators

In service since 1985. Status: legacy · ~3,000 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.: 60 km/h

Bottom 4% of IFVs
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 500 km

Stronger than 26% of IFVs
Power-to-weight Engine power per tonne of vehicle weight. Higher means better acceleration and cross-country mobility.: 30.4 hp/t

Top 5% of IFVs

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 30 mm 2A42 autocannon
Secondary armament Additional weapons: coaxial MG, remote weapon station, gun pods.: 7.62 mm PKT machine gun, 9M113 Konkurs ATGM launcher
Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better — ammunition commonality matters.: 30 mm
Ammunition Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity.: 300

Stronger than 63% of IFVs

Protection

Armor, countermeasures and survivability.

Armor Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.: Welded aluminum, small-arms resistant
Reactive armor Explosive reactive armor (ERA) blocks that disrupt shaped-charge jets.: No
NBC protection Sealed crew compartment with overpressure filtration for nuclear/biological/chemical environments.: Yes

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 5.4 m
Width Overall width — matters for rail/road transport of vehicles.: 2.63 m
Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.: 1.97 m
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 8,000 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 3
Troop capacity Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more.: 4

Bottom 7% of IFVs

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Engine Powerplant model and type.: 5D20 diesel
Engine power Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.: 243 hp

Bottom 10% of IFVs
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: Diesel

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 3,000

Stronger than 81% of IFVs
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 4

Stronger than 67% of IFVs

Specifications compiled from public Kurganmashzavod and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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