The BMD-4M is an upgraded version of the BMD-4, developed for the Воздушно-десантные войска России (Russian airborne troops). Its main advantage is component standardization, reducing production costs and simplifying maintenance. In War Thunder, it is a more affordable and efficient Premium option compared to the BMD-4 (a marketplace vehicle), offering improved protection, speed, and overall performance.
| Pros | Cons |
| Highly mobile and maneuverable | Weak armor against calibers above 20 mm |
| Versatile armament (combined 100 mm and 30 mm cannons) | Limited rear gun depression (requires suspension adjustment) |
| High lethality in combat. | Limited ammunition, demanding careful management |
History:
The BMD-4, successor to the BMD-3, entered service in 2004 with the Bakhcha combat system, combining a 100 mm (2A70) cannon and a 30 mm (2A72) autocannon. Despite its lightweight armor, it retained amphibious and air-transport capabilities. Electrical and mechanical issues limited production to 60 units.
The first units were officially delivered to the 137th Guards Airborne Regiment in 2005. During testing, electrical compatibility issues between the turret and chassis were revealed, along with mechanical failures. Initial production was capped at 60 units by the Instrument Design Bureau (KBP), despite plans to produce up to 1,000 BMD-4 units by 2020.
Developed by the Volgograd Tractor Plant, the BMD-4M emerged in 2008 to address these flaws. It uses the improved Bakhcha-U system (similar to the BMD-4) and the BMP-3’s engine, delivering higher power (500 hp) and standardized parts. Officially adopted in 2012, the BMD-4 became rare on the battlefield due to limited production, being quickly replaced by the BMD-4M.
In December 2012, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the adoption of the BMD-4M, initially criticized for its lack of reliability in providing fire support to troops. The situation changed radically after 2016, when the first units were delivered to airborne forces, establishing it as the backbone of a new generation of combat vehicles. Based on a unified chassis, the BMD-4M gave rise to specialized systems such as the BTR-MDM (troop transport), the 2S25M (light tank destroyer with an enlarged silhouette but shared engine), the 2S42 (self-propelled artillery piece), and an anti-tank variant equipped with Kornet-D1 missiles.
Armament:
The BMD-4M is equipped with the Bakhcha-U combat system, integrating two main weapons for multifunctional combat:
| 2A70 Cannon (100 mm): Fires 9M117M1 anti-tank Tandem warhead missiles (up to 4 units) and high-explosive shells (38 units). |
| 2A72 Autocannon (30 mm): Belts with APDS-T (armor piercing), AP-T (penetration), and HEI-T (incendiary) rounds (total of 464 rounds split into two belts). |
| PKT Machine gun (7.62 mm): AP-I and API-T belts (total of 2,000 rounds, divided into eight belts). |
As an advanced combat module, the Bakhcha-U boasts unmatched gun handling in the Soviet tech tree. The system allows traversing the gun and turret at 42°/s, which can be boosted to 60°/s with an Ace crew. Despite inheriting a common limitation of Russian vehicles (reduced gun depression on slopes), the Bakhcha-U has a maximum gun depression of -6°. This can be improved using the hydropneumatic suspension on the BMD-4M’s chassis, increasing the vehicle’s versatility across various in-game environments.
In War Thunder, the 100 mm 2A70 cannon has two types of ammunition: high-explosive (HE) and tandem-charge anti-tank missiles (ATGM), specifically the 3OF32, 3OF70, and 9M117M1 models.
As a Premium vehicle, the player can freely choose ammunition for battle. It is recommended to prioritize the 3OF70, as it not only has a higher muzzle velocity (335 m/s vs. 250 m/s for the 3OF32) but also carries a larger explosive charge, ensuring greater lethality.
Including the 9M117M1 missiles is essential. While the 3OF70 HE rounds and the autocannon’s APDS-T belts are effective, they may not suffice against heavily armored targets like the XM803, one of the most armored vehicles the BMD-4M faces, especially when protected by Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) or similar systems.
The Bakhcha-U combat system allows reloading both missiles and HE rounds in up to 5.0 seconds thanks to its accelerated reload mechanism. This enhances the BMD-4M’s ability to engage multiple targets rapidly, maintaining lethality even in intense combat.
To maximize the vehicle’s combat potential, it is equipped with a 30 mm 2A72 autocannon. As mentioned earlier, the Premium status allows the use of all components without prior research.
The ammunition available for the 30 mm 2A72 autocannon includes:
- APDS-T: High-penetration rounds with superior post-penetration lethality;
- AP-T: Intermediate option, useful against lightly armored targets;
- HEI-T: High-explosive incendiary rounds, ideal for unarmored or aerial targets.
It is recommended to load APDS-T belts as primary and HEI-T belts as secondary. The AP-T belts are rarely more effective than the other options, being useful only in specific scenarios. With the addition of the infrared/TV targeting system with automatic lock to its arsenal, the BMD-4M establishes itself as a true Jack-of-all-trades, capable of efficiently neutralizing any target — whether aerial or ground-based.
The 100 mm cannon’s ammunition load varies based on missile selection (e.g., 4 missiles + 34 shells).
Players must balance 30 mm belts, as repeating the same type in both compartments is not allowed.
Protection:
Compared to its predecessor, the BMD-4M features modernized armor and enhanced protection while maintaining a reduced weight. This makes it resistant to heavy machine guns (e.g., 12.7 mm M2HB) and low-caliber autocannons (e.g., 20 mm Rh202). Its modular add-on armor can be installed or removed in the modifications section, boosting versatility without significantly compromising mobility: the addition adds only 1,000 kg to its total weight of 15,000 kg.
Mobility:
Despite sharing the BMP-3’s engine and transmission, the BMD-4M is faster, reaching 70 km/h forward speed but limited to 20 km/h in reverse. Its power-to-weight ratio is so high that the vehicle can "fly" across the battlefield in seconds, solidifying it as an excellent choice for securing critical offensive positions early in the match.
Combat usage:
The BMD-4M stands out for its tactical versatility, adapting to diverse combat scenarios. Combining high mobility and superior gun handling compared to other Russian light vehicles, it excels in mountainous maps or environments requiring ambushes and rapid movement, such as Carpathians or Sun City.
As a light tank, it includes a reconnaissance drone, enhancing offensive capabilities and allowing the operator and allies to anticipate enemy movements. Its low acoustic signature enables stealthy repositioning, even near adversaries. Additionally, combining the Emergency Smoke System (ESS) with thermal vision turns the BMD-4M into a lethal predator, luring enemies into smoke-covered traps.
In addition to engaging ground targets, the infrared/TV targeting system with automatic lock allows the BMD-4M to lock onto and calculate the trajectory of aerial targets (such as aircraft and helicopters) up to 5.0 km away, thanks to its integrated ballistic computer.
Vulnerabilities and Countermeasures:
Limiting Rear Suspension: The suspension configuration requires manual adjustments to engage targets in all directions.
Fragile Turret Armor: Short-range targets with heavy machine guns (e.g., 12.7 mm) can damage components or incapacitate the crew, neutralizing the vehicle.
Long-Range Strategy: Use 3OF70 high-explosive shells ("hot potatoes") from behind cover. The 100 mm cannon’s low pressure allows indirect fire, ideal for hitting terrain-protected targets.
Ammunition Management Tip:
Prioritize 3OF70 shells as primary ammunition for unarmored targets, reserving APDS-T belts (30 mm) and 9M117M1 missiles (100 mm) for heavily armored vehicles. This maximizes efficiency and conserves critical resources.
See also:
This article contains images photographed by Vitaly V. Kuzmin, under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license, which permits the use of the photos provided that explicit credit is given to the author and the license is mentioned, in accordance with the terms established by Vitaly V. Kuzmin.
Additionally, the article includes community-created camouflages, which are directly credited to their creators on the https://live.warthunder.com/ platform, along with their respective In-Game Names (IGNs).
Vitaly V. Kuzmin's gallery https://www.vitalykuzmin.su/
@Leviathan_07 BMD-4M, Russian Expo Arms, 2011
BMD-4 at Wikipedia (Russian) https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/БМД-4
BMD-4 at Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMD-4
BMD-4M at Army Technology https://www.army-technology.com/projects/bmd-4m-infantry-fighting-vehicle/
