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Russia tries to keep BMP-3 relevant with new weapon options

1st July 2026 - 11:27 GMT | by Christopher F Foss in London, UK

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A modified BMP-3 fitted with the AU-220M (Heavy Series) Version 02 turret armed with a 57mm gun and sporting a roof-mounted stabilised sighting system. (Photo: Burevestnik)

New iterations of a 57mm gun system highlight a push towards multi-role turrets capable of countering armour, drones and aerial targets.

The Russian Central Research Institute Burevestnik, based in Nizhny Novgorod, has continued to develop its 57mm AU-220M series of Multipurpose Gun Mounts for Land Forces (MGMLF) with the first new model being the AMU-220M (Light Series) Version One.

The complete system known as the 2S38 with the actual 57mm weapon being designated the 2A90.

This remote-controlled turret (RCT) is armed with a 57mm automatic gun with 80 rounds of ready-use ammunition and a 7.62mm 6P7K coaxial machine gun (MG) mounted externally on the right side with 1,000 rounds. The main armament has a cyclic rate of fire of 80 rounds

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Christopher F Foss

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Christopher F Foss


Christopher F Foss is an internationally recognised authority on armoured fighting vehicles, artillery and other weapon systems, …

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