BRDM-2, Soviet amphibious reconnaissance vehicle in Rudnichny District, Russia
The BRDM-2 is a four-wheeled amphibious reconnaissance vehicle measuring approximately 19 feet (5.75 meters) in length, 7.7 feet (2.35 meters) in width, and 7.6 feet (2.31 meters) in height with a combat weight of around 15,400 pounds (7 metric tons).
Developed by V K Rubtsov and introduced into Soviet military service in 1962, the BRDM-2 was manufactured primarily at GAZ and Arzamas plants from 1963 to 1989 with approximately 9,400 units produced to replace the earlier BRDM-1 model.
The vehicle's designation translates from Russian as 'Boyevaya Razvedyvatelnaya Dozornaya Mashina' meaning combat reconnaissance and patrol vehicle, representing Soviet Cold War era military engineering and armored reconnaissance doctrine used across Warsaw Pact forces.
Armed with a 14.5mm KPVT heavy machine gun and coaxial 7.62mm PKT machine gun in a rotating turret, the vehicle can reach speeds up to 62 mph (100 km/h) on roads and 6 mph (10 km/h) in water with a range of approximately 465 miles (750 kilometers).
The vehicle features four retractable chain-driven belly wheels that can be lowered from underneath the chassis to improve off-road mobility when crossing difficult terrain, trenches, or obstacles during reconnaissance operations in challenging environments.
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