Russian airborne troops continue recapitalisation
Russia’s airborne troops, an elite and highly-mobile independent branch of country’s military numbering 45,000 personnel, has continued a comprehensive recapitalisation in 2017.
Col Gen Andrey Serdyukov, the branch’s commander-in-chief, revealed that 2017 saw the re-equipment of three landing-assault battalions with the new BMD-4M airmobile IFV and the BTR-MDM Rakushka APC.
Two of the battalions are included in the 31st Independent Landing-Assault Brigade in the city of Ulyanovsk and another in the 76th Landing-Assault Division in Pskov.
Each battalion received 27 BMD-4Ms, three BMD-4MK commander's vehicles and 16-20 BTR-MDMs. In total, some 150 new IFVs and APCs were taken in 2017.
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Land Warfare
-
![US Army seeks industry support to prepare acquisitions of Group 4+ UAVs]()
US Army seeks industry support to prepare acquisitions of Group 4+ UAVs
The US Army is keen to hear about vendor designs, strategies and potential hardware and software solutions to inform requirements for procurement efforts.
-
![Dedicated drone munitions could unlock modular mission potential]()
Dedicated drone munitions could unlock modular mission potential
Top attacks have proven effective against heavily armoured vehicles in Ukraine. A new family of uncrewed aerial system-delivered munitions is looking to press that advantage further.
-
![Elbit bets on local content for US howitzer bid as it faces off against popular systems]()
Elbit bets on local content for US howitzer bid as it faces off against popular systems
The Israeli company hopes that producing its Sigma artillery system wholly in the US will help it win a key US Army contract, but it will be up against the popular CAESAR Mk II wheeled weapon and the K9 tracked.
-
![Germany signs multi-billion-dollar deals for 6x6 CAVS and GDELS Eagle vehicles]()
Germany signs multi-billion-dollar deals for 6x6 CAVS and GDELS Eagle vehicles
The order is a further boost for the Common Armoured Vehicles System programme which has notched notable successes in the past 12 months. The first vehicle, made in Finland, will be delivered next year with local production expected to ramp up in 2027.
