We have always something to show you about Russian defense technology and today let us show you an airdrop of an airborne infantry fighting vehicle first. The exercise took place in the Ryazan Region.

There are three main methods of airdrop currently used in military operations.

Extraction airdrops use an extraction parachute to pull the load out of the aft end of the airplane. In this method, an extraction parachute is deployed behind the aircraft which pulls the load out and cargo parachutes are deployed to slow the load.

Gravity airdrops use gravity in the sense that the attitude of the aircraft at the time of the drop causes the load to roll out of the plane like a sled down a hill.

Door bundle drops are the simplest of airdrop methods. In a door bundle airdrop, the Loadmaster simply pushes out the load at the appropriate time.

A multi-dome parachute system looks great in the sky.

An airdrop of miltary equipment is preceeded by landing of a reconnaissance sub-unit which has to prepare the bedding area.

Technical personnel remove covers from caterpillar tracks. Under the combat conditions, it is the crew members who do it.

The driver wearing a heat-resistant uniform detects the military equipment with a radio beacon and gets down to unlocking the turret hatch.

The soldier in the photo wears a landing helmet that differs from the tank helmet in the fact that it features earphones and a throat microphone.

The main task of the driver is to start up the vehicle and make its ground clearance higher (because before the airdrop, ground clearance of the airborne infantry fighting vehicle is placed at its lowest position). They start up the engine either using the batteries or a pneumatic system.

The driver has started up the engine, made its ground clearance higher, changed the helmet and is ready to go meet the crew.

Along with the crew, the Soviet airborne infantry fighting vehicle BMD is able to carry landing troops.

Picking up the crew and the paratroopers, the BMD starts to accomplish its mission.

The next on the menu is the BM-27 Uragan, a self-propelled multiple rocket launcher system designed in the Soviet Union, which began its service with the Soviet Army in the late 1970s.

Once the rockets have been fired, a ZIL-135 based vehicle is used to assist in reloading. It carries additional rockets and a crane to transfer the rockets from the reload vehicle to the launcher.

The entire reloading procedure takes around 20 minutes.

This system is capable of launching 220 mm rockets from 16 launch tubes mounted on the rear of a ZIL-135 8×8 chassis.

The BM-27 uses rockets detonated by electric timing fuses. Each rocket weighs 280.4 kilograms. The warheads weigh between 90 and 100 kilograms depending on type. A full salvo of 16 rockets can be fired in 20 seconds and can engage targets within a range of 35 kilometers.

Several sub-units work to launch a rocket, from reconnaissance to observers. The sledgehammer in the photo is used to prevent the camouflage net from being blown away with the wind.

The operating personnel always includes a gunlayer. The one in the photo wears a hard hat, bullet-proof vest, automatic machine, knife-bayonet, gas mask, magazines, water flask and maybe a digging tool.

Before launching a rocket, the operating personnel cover themselves from fire because the sonic wave coming from the shot goes through the body and can cause damage.

Fire!

via m-ryabinin