BMP-2M
| This page is about the squadron Soviet light tank BMP-2M. For other uses, see BMP (Disambiguation). |
Contents
Description
The BMP-2M is a squadron rank VII Soviet light tank (infantry fighting vehicle) with a battle rating of 10.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced during Update "Starfighters". The BMP-2M is a light, mobile yet lethal light tank. Although its survivability and armour are not remarkable, its armament and utility are unmatched at its battle rating.
General info
Survivability and armour
The vehicle's playstyle is relatively similar to the BMP-2's. The fast turret traverse speed, wide field of view, and thermals for the optics combined with a fast-firing 2A42 autocannon and four 9M133 ATGMs makes it an excellent close range combat IFV and good front line scout at open fields. Armour on this vehicle can only protect the crew from 7.62 mm fire at all angles and sometimes 12.7 mm or even 20 mm when being shot from the front. The BMP-2M is prone to hull-break, but sometimes AP rounds such as APFSDS can penetrate the vehicle without significant damage due to its large empty space inside. The hull-break mechanics will mean that even a poorly placed shot may immediately destroy the vehicle. Overall, survivability is poor, and the BMP-2M should use its manoeuvrability to flank opponents and strike before the enemy can locate you and return fire.
Armour type:
- High hardness rolled armour (hull and turret)
- Alloy ABT-101 (engine deck)
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 12 mm (81°) | 13 mm Top
15 mm Bottom |
16 mm Doors
13 mm Door frame |
5 mm
12 mm Engine deck |
| Turret | 20 mm Turret front
25 mm Gun mantlet |
12 - 16 mm | 10 mm | 6 mm |
Mobility
| Game Mode | Max Speed (km/h) | Weight (tons) | Engine power (horsepower) | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward | Reverse | Stock | Upgraded | Stock | Upgraded | ||
| Arcade | 73 | 12 | 14.5 | 558 | 763 | 38.48 | 52.62 |
| Realistic | 66 | 11 | 318 | 400 | 21.93 | 27.59 | |
With 60 extra horsepower, the BMP-2M has excellent mobility compared to the BMP-2. The acceleration of the BMP-2M in off road conditions is excellent, and it is able to keep up with top tier MBTs like the T-80U, M1A2 Abrams and Leopard 2A5. The reverse speed however is still -10 km/h and it still has no neutral steering. Its amphibious capabilities can be useful to cross deep water sections to reach places normally unreachable for other vehicles.
Modifications and economy
| Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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For module research, the following order is recommended:
- Parts, then FPE to increase the durability
- 9M133FM-3 and NVD
- 30 mm APDS, Laser rangefinder and Filters
- Pick the next modules you wish to research depending on your needs
Armaments
Main armament
As this tank has a similar playstyle to its 8.3 counterpart, the BMP-2, the main armament of the Shipunov 20 mm Mini Vulcan autocannon is a very versatile weapon, considering its vertical guidance, traverse speed, and large selection of ammo belts.
It is not recommended to engage in long-term combat without ATGMs using only the autocannon with any tank heavier than a light tank or an Anti-Tank Missile Carrier unless using the APDS ammo selection. If not using APDS, for heavier tanks it is recommended to cripple it by shooting its tracks and the main armament.
| 30 mm 2A42 | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 500 (250) | 550 | -4°/+74° | ±180° | Two-plane | 57.1 | 79.1 | 96.0 | 106.2 | 112.9 | 1.30 | 1.15 | 1.06 | 1.00 |
| Realistic | 35.7 | 42.0 | 51.0 | 56.4 | 60.0 | |||||||||
Ammunition
- Default: AP-T · HEF-I*
- 30 mm HE: HEF-I* · AP-T · HEF-I* · HEF-T*
- 30 mm APT: AP-T · AP-T · AP-T · HEF-T*
- 30 mm APDS: APDS · APDS · APDS · APDS · HEF-T*
| Penetration statistics | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belt | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | |
| Default | 65 | 63 | 54 | 44 | 36 | 30 |
| 30 mm HE | 65 | 63 | 54 | 44 | 36 | 30 |
| 30 mm APT | 65 | 63 | 54 | 44 | 36 | 30 |
| 30 mm APDS | 82 | 81 | 79 | 75 | 72 | 69 |
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 (+2) | No |
Additional armament
|
It is recommended to fire the main and additional armaments separately, using separate keybinds for "Fire from secondary guns" and "Fire from the main calibre gun" or by setting keybinds to select the different weapon groups, as this 30 mm grenade launcher has a very different shell trajectory to the main 30 mm autocannon. |
| 30 mm AG-30 | Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| 300 (300) | 400 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
Ammunition
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
| VOG-30 | VOG* | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Shell details | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile Mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | ||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | |||||||
| VOG-30 | VOG* | 185 | 0.28 | 0 | 0.1 | 55.44 | 79° | 80° | 81° |
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 (+1) | No |
Additional armament
Unlike the BMP-2 which only has one ATGM launcher and takes some time to reload, the ATGMs on the BMP-2M are arranged in 4 slots, 2 on either side of the tank. If all 4 are expended, an extra 4 will be able to reload if chosen in the battle start up.
| 9M133 missile | Reloading rate (seconds) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity (Belt) | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| 8 (4) | -5°/+10° | N/A | N/A | 26.00 | 23.00 | 21.20 | 20.00 |
Ammunition
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
| 9M133 | ATGM (tandem) | 1,200 | 1,200 | 1,200 | 1,200 | 1,200 | 1,200 |
| 9M133FM-3 | ATGM-VT | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 |
| Shell details | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Range (m) |
Projectile Mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | ||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||
| 9M133 | ATGM (tandem) | 300 | 5,500 | 26 | 0.4 | 0.01 | 6,160 | 80° | 82° | 90° |
| 9M133FM-3 | ATGM-VT | 320 | 10,000 | 28 | 0.2 | 0.01 | 9,240 | 79° | 80° | 81° |
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 (+1) | 0 (+2) | No |
- Racks are modeled as 2 loadouts of 4 missiles
- Missiles are fired from A to D (see picture).
Machine guns
| 7.62 mm PKT | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Coaxial | 2,000 (250) | 700 | N/A | N/A |
Usage in battles
During the stock grind, the vehicle is best played as a scout, as the stock ammo with the exception of the ATGMs is poor. Once it is spaded, the vehicle is basically a complete lineup in itself. It can play the part of a light tank, with excellent manoeuvrability, the ability to scout and repair, and the fast-firing autocannon to flank and destroy light to medium armoured targets. Along with its scout capability to mark enemy armoured targets for allies or eliminate them with its ATGMs. If played cautiously, it can be played as a true IFV, supporting MBTs in close-quarters battle (CQB).
However, when playing close-quarter battle this, it is a support vehicle, and should not engage in frontal brawls with MBTs, as it will quickly be destroyed, due to it's thin armour. It can be played at long range, using its scouting ability and ATGMs to knock out targets at long ranges. While not its purpose, the BMP-2M can also be played as a last resort SPAA with its fast firing 30 mm autocannon and proximity fuse ATGMs in case there is no dedicated vehicle to perform this role.
Combat tactics
Avoid frontal confrontation with enemies of any kind, due to the very thin armour and hull-break in combination with the high density of ammunition and crew. Any weapon of calibre .50 cal or larger will absolutely shred the BMP-2M to pieces. The vehicle can be played in different roles:
Long-range engagement: it can use its scouting ability and ATGMs to mark and track targets at long distance. Unlike the BMP-2, this improved variant carries an ATGM with a tandem shaped warhead. This weapon can easily deal with any armour found at its battle rating and even above it. Furthermore, 4 out of the total 8 missiles can be simultaneously fired and controlled at any given time, allowing to engage multiple targets standing close by launching each missile in quick succession before the initial one impacted. This is only further reinforced through the ability to fire on the move at any speed, unlike almost all other ATGM carrying systems. Even in the case that only one missile is left, a 6-second reload will help a quick re-engagement. Be aware that your ATGMs have a lower velocity than the common APFSDS and HEAT-FS round that your enemies will fire: if you and your enemy fire at the same time, you will most likely be killed first. Once the laser rangefinder is unlocked, one can use APDS rounds at range as it can easily pen the side and roofs of most enemies it will face, and the high volume of rounds will quickly disable if not destroy the target.
Support and repair: this style of gameplay is most useful in close quarters environments especially when the vehicle is stock, making use of the autocannon, seeking out flanks and assisting with fast repairs. Good communication about targets is possible through the scouting feature. Adding to the support role is the 9M133FM-3 missile equipped with a HE warhead and proximity most effective against helicopters in particular.
Flanking: the main features of this strategy are the BMP-2's mobility and the 30 mm APDS belt which easily punches through the sides of any vehicle at its BR. The main focus is on targeting crew members and modules, as the post penetration damage is very localized. Basic knowledge about crew positions is most useful to get the most out of the rather short APDS belt (160 shells).
Pros and cons
Pros:
- 2A42 autocannon can punch through most vehicles at its battle rating from the back, side and sometimes front
- Fast turret traverse speed
- Gen-2 thermal optics for the gunner, wide field of view and 2.5 to 12 times zoom for gun sight, suitable for combat at any range
- 1,200 mm penetration power for the standard 9M133 missile; can fire and guide all four missiles simultaneously while on the move
- Can equip 9M133FM-3 HE missiles with proximity fuses, useful for SPAA purposes
- Amphibious ability can be useful for crossing the water to areas hard-to-reach for other vehicles
- Very cheap repair cost means easy Silver Lions profit from combat
- Roof-mounted grenade launcher can clear obstacles that typically machine guns can not
- Relatively easy stock grind
- Can be played as a light tank, long range tank, CQB support vehicle, or SPAA
Cons:
- Missiles mounted on the turret has a chance to explode from shrapnel if too close to any form of explosion
- Chassis can only protect the crew from 7.62 mm and with limited 12.7 mm or bigger calibre ammunition protection from the front
- No neutral steering, and a slow reverse speed of -10 km/h
- While driving, thermal optics vision to the left of the chassis at 30 to 50 degrees are obscured from the engine exhaust gas
- Grenade launcher has only 6 mm of pen and generally can't destroy opponents, instead being used against obstacles and clearing ERA at close range, sometimes damaging tracks or exposed ammo racks (eg ATGMs) at very close range
- ATGMs require discipline to use, as the urge to fire all four of them on contact is near irresistible. While firing all four ATGM ensures that the target tank is absolutely annihilated, it is a waste of ammunition if operator does not redirect remaining missiles away from already destroyed tank towards next target
History
In 2017, the Russian Ministry of Defense signed a contract with KBP Instrument Design (Konstruktorskoe Buro Priborostroeniya) for the modernization of BMP-2 and BMD-2 to the BMP-2M ICV "Berezhok" and "Bereg" (not to be confused with the BMP-2M made by Kurganmashzavod. The M is the general designator for modernized units). It is meant to be a cost-effective update which will augment a clear sophistication compared to the BMP-3. It equipped the B05Ya01 Berezhok turret keeping the same autocannon of the BMP-2, the 2A42 30 mm autocannon, a PKTM 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun (tank version of the PKM), an AGS-30 30 mm grenade launcher, 2 B05S011 guided weapon system which made the BMP-2M capable of firing 4 9M113M Kornet ATGM (2 launchers per turret side), new NVD from the BMD-4, 1PZ-13 commander's periscope, the BPK-3-42 gunner's primary sight (GPS), PL-1 laser illuminator, a 370-horsepower UDT-23 engine, new armament stabilizers, ballistics computer and a laser rangefinder. The "Berezhok" variant was preferred by Algeria while the Russian MoD decided for the BMP-2M made by Kurganmashzavod. Currently, the production of the BMP-2M is still kept with the first 18 units being delivered in 2020.
Devblog
In the early 2000's, aside from the development of the new BMP-3, the Russian military had been looking into modernization of the widespread BMP-2 combat vehicles to face the challenges of the time. Amongst other projects proposed to the Russian Ministry of Defense under this program, an idea was raised to install the Berezhok combat complex on the BMP-2 chassis. Berezhok was a combat module created on the basis of the BMP-2 turret, but significantly increasing the overall fire potential of the vehicle. The main changes that Berezhok brought were the modern fire control system, the new highly capable Kornet ATGM, and the 30 mm automatic grenade launcher on the top of the turret. The BMP-2M with the Berezhok module was produced for export to the Algerian army, and also purchased by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Media
- Skins
- Images
- BMP-2M Devblog Images
- Videos
See also
- BMP-2: Base variant for the BMP-2M.
External links
| USSR light tanks | |
|---|---|
| T-26 | T-26 · T-26 (1st Gv.T.Br.) · T-26-4 · T-26E |
| BT | BT-5 · RBT-5 · BT-7 · BT-7 TD · BT-7M · BT-7A (F-32) |
| T-50 | T-126 · T-50 |
| T-70 | T-70 · T-80 |
| PT-76 | PT-76B · PT-76-57 · Object 906 |
| BMP | BMP-1 · BMP-2 · BMP-2M · BMP-3 |
| BMD | BMD-4 |
| 2S25 | 2S25 · 2S25M |
| Wheeled | BA-11 · BTR-80A |
| Other | T-60 · Object 685 · 2S38 |
| China | ▂Type 62 |
| Squadron ground vehicles | |
|---|---|
| USA | M901 · M1A1 AIM |
| Germany | Leopard 2 PL |
| USSR | BMP-2M · T-80UK |
| Britain | Bhishma TWMP |
| Japan | CTWV RCV |
| China | Object 122MT "MC" |
| France | CV 9035NL |
| Sweden | T 80 U |
| Israel | Magach 6B Gal |
- Ground vehicles
- USSR ground vehicles
- Seventh rank ground vehicles
- Squadron ground vehicles
- Light tanks
- Ground vehicles with smoke grenades
- Ground vehicles with engine smoke generating system
- Amphibious ground vehicles
- Ground vehicles with night vision device
- Ground vehicles with thermal sight
- Multi-weapon ground vehicles
- Ground vehicles with gun stabilizer
- ATGM vehicles
