Landing of an armored fighting vehicle with a crew for the first time. Nobody but them: how the Russian Airborne Forces learned to land military equipment with crews inside. New technology will continue traditions
home The world's first museum of airborne troops has opened an updated exhibition telling the story parachuting and the secrets of successfully landing people inside airborne combat vehicles fourth generation
century. During the war years, under the vaulted ceilings of the ancient mansion there was a hospital, and in 1972, on the initiative of the Airborne Forces commander, General Margelov, a museum dedicated to elite troops . Date creation of the Airborne Forces
is considered to be August 2, 1930, when 12 military pilots simultaneously jumped with a parachute and landed successfully, while retaining their personal weapons. Within a few years, the number of trained military paratroopers in our country exceeded 50 thousand people, who formed the elite of the armed forces. The world's first parachute backpack was patented by Russian inventor Gleb Kotelnikov in France in 1911. The product was named RK-1 (Russian Kotelnikovsky First). They say that Kotelnikov conducted tests of his invention in Paris, dropping Eiffel Tower
a poor Russian student who remained alive after landing. At first, the backpacks were metal and not very comfortable. Superstitious pilots initially refused to use them. However, soon backpacks began to be produced from more practical and plastic materials, saving the lives of pilots and balloon passengers. In the second decade of the twentieth century, the parachute became mandatory attribute
The museum's exhibition contains unique footage from the 1930s, which shows the first parachutists jumping from the outer hull of the aircraft. Now it’s scary to imagine how paratroopers manage not to fall in flight at an altitude of 350 meters at a speed of 250 kilometers per hour, holding on to a single rope with their hand. Apparently, many accidents occurred with this method of landing. Having hit their heads on the metal body of the plane during a jump, the soldiers lost consciousness in the air. They could not open their parachute in time and crashed. Flight tragedies prompted designers to create mechanisms for forced deployment of parachutes, which subsequently saved many lives.
Ironically, it is with France that the history of not only the parachute is connected, but also the landing of heavy military equipment with the crew inside.
The world's first landing of people inside an airborne combat vehicle (BMD-1) took place on January 5, 1973 at the training ground of the 106th Guards Airborne Division "Slobodka".
To protect the lives of crew members, slightly modified analogues of the Kazbek-D space seats were installed inside the BMD.
The secret to successfully landing people inside the BMD is the use of special parachute systems. The complex was named "Centaur". Such landing significantly reduced the time it took to bring the vehicle into combat readiness, - said " Rossiyskaya newspaper"representative of the Airborne Forces Museum Vladimir Nemirovsky.
This method of landing greatly increased the combat effectiveness of the army, giving it the ability to land at lightning speed on a given territory and quickly strike.
On the eve of the exercises, the commander of the Airborne Forces, General Margelov, was so confident in the reliability and safety of the vehicle’s design that he wanted to participate in the first descent himself. However, Defense Minister Grechko categorically refused to risk the general. Then inside the car were a teacher of the airborne school, Lieutenant Colonel Leonid Zuev, and the son of General Vasily Margelov, Senior Lieutenant Alexander Margelov. The landing was successful. After this, an image of a centaur appeared on the emblem of the Tula Airborne Division.
Many countries dreamed of repeating the unprecedented combat success of the Airborne Forces, but nowhere among the military were there volunteers. The only state that decided to take a similar step was France. As tour guide Vladimir Nemirovsky said, after the military refused to participate in the experiment, the French government distributed an announcement among prisoners sentenced to death, promising the daredevil a presidential pardon.
One condemned man agreed to the adventure. The criminal was placed in a combat vehicle and parachuted from an airplane. The volunteer died during landing. After this, the French President fulfilled his promise by presenting his relatives with a decree pardoning him posthumously. But they decided not to conduct further experiments with landing people inside equipment in France.
Now landings are carried out using vehicles not of the first, but of the fourth generation,” said Nemirovsky.
Thus, this year, tests carried out by the Ministry of Defense at a site near Ryazan confirmed the possibility of landing the BMD-4M from IL-76 aircraft. According to the military department, during the exercises a landing method called a train was used, in which the landing length is one and a half times shorter than the length of other methods of lowering the BMD.
BMD is an abbreviation of the phrase “ fighting machine landing." Based on the name, BMD is vehicle to move a unit Its main purpose is to fight enemy armored vehicles and enemy infantry. In professional military circles, this vehicle was called “Budka”.
To carry out its combat mission, the BMD can be transported military aviation to the landing site. Landing can be carried out from Mi-26 aircraft and helicopters using an external sling.
How did the BMD-2 airborne combat vehicle appear?
The designers developed the first generation of BMD back in 1969, and after testing it was delivered to Soviet Union. Serial assembly of the combat vehicle was carried out in the early years; it was produced in limited editions. To start serial production used the forces of the All-Russia Research Institute of Steel, the Welding Institute named after. E. Paton.
In 1980 Soviet designers, having studied the experience of using BMD in real battles, we moved on to improving existing model. The need to modernize the airborne combat vehicle became obvious after Afghanistan, where the armored vehicle was actively used. Having proven itself well in combat on flat areas, the first generation airborne combat vehicle lost in highlands.
The BMD-2 airborne combat vehicle entered service in the Soviet Union in 1985. Second generation car appearance was not particularly different from the BMD-1. The comparative photo of the BMD-2 and BMD-1 shows that the changes affected the turret and weapons. The hull and engine remain unchanged. The armored vehicle experienced its baptism of fire in combat operations in the Republic of Afghanistan.
In subsequent years, the BMD-2 was used in armed conflicts in Russia and abroad. Today, the “booth” is in service in the armies of Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.
Design features of BMD-2
The design of the airborne combat vehicle is considered unique. In the front part, the driver-mechanic is located in the center, behind him is the commander on the right, and on the left is the gunner. In the rear there is a compartment for troops. It can accommodate 5 paratroopers.
The BMD-2 body is conventionally divided into 4 sections:
- management department;
- combat unit;
- troop squad;
- engine and transmission compartment.
The combat unit and control compartment are combined and are located in the front and middle parts of the armored vehicle. The rear half is divided into troop and engine compartments.
The armored hull is welded from aluminum sheets that cover the BMD-2 crew. The characteristics of this metal make it possible to achieve effective protection when light weight. Armor capable of protecting the crew from bullets, small fragments of mines and shells. The thickness of the body trim in the front part is 15 mm, on the sides - 10 mm. The tower has armor 7 mm thick. The bottom of the BMD is reinforced with stiffening ribs, which allows for successful airborne landings. Minimum height landing is 500 meters, maximum height is 1500 meters. In this case, multi-dome parachutes with a PRSM 916 (925) jet system are used.
After modernization, PM-2 received a new circular tower. It is smaller in size. In addition, it gained the ability to fire at helicopters and low-flying aircraft. The vertical guidance angle was increased to 75 degrees.
The BMD-2 body is sealed. This turned the “booth” into a floating armored vehicle. To move through a water obstacle, a water-jet installation is used, the operation of which is based on the principle jet propulsion. Before moving through a water obstacle, it is necessary to raise the wave protection flap in front. Thanks to the properties of the amphibious vehicle, landing can be carried out from transport ships.
Engine and chassis
When creating the BMD-2, engineers did not completely modernize the engine and chassis. In combat landing vehicle 5D20 motor installed. This is a diesel engine with 6 cylinders. It is capable of developing a power of 240 horsepower.
BMD-2 uses caterpillar tracks. There are 5 track rollers and 4 rollers on each side. The drive axle is rear, with steering wheels in front. Chassis has a design that allows you to adjust the ground clearance. The minimum ground clearance is 10 cm, and the maximum is 45 cm. The suspension is independent.
BMD 2. Characteristics of weapons
The modernization of the airborne combat vehicle in the 80s mainly affected the turret and weapons. The military experience in Afghanistan forced us to reconsider the fire arsenal.
The main firepower is 30 mm caliber. She is capable of shooting while moving. The barrel is stabilized in two planes using an electro-hydraulic weapon stabilizer 2E36-1. In the roof of the turret there is the main sight VPK-1-42, which aims the gun. The “booth” is capable of firing at a range of up to 4 kilometers.
Paired with a cannon in the turret there is a 7.62 mm caliber. The combat kit of the second generation BDM consists of 300 shells for a cannon and 2000 rounds for a machine gun.
Can be used to enhance firepower additional weapons for BMD-2. The operating instructions determine the composition of additional weapons:
- one 9M113 “Competition”;
- two 9M111 “Bassoon” ATGMs;
- launcher 9P135M.
Missile launchers are capable of aiming within 54 degrees horizontally and from -5 to +10 vertically.
To conduct a successful battle with air targets, the weapons included missile systems"Igla" and "Strela-2".
Equipment of an airborne combat vehicle
The BMD-2 is equipped with an R-174 trouser communication device and an R-123 radio station (later it was replaced by the R-123M).
In addition, on board the armored vehicle there is:
- automatic fire extinguishing complex;
- system for air filtration and exhaust;
- anti-drug system mass destruction and atomic weapons;
- protection system against ;
- night-vision devices;
- air ventilation system inside the body of a combat vehicle.
Technical characteristics of the "Booth"
During the battle, the “booth” is capable of overcoming various obstacles. Without difficulty, the BMD-2 airborne combat vehicle can drive onto a wall 80 centimeters high and overcome a trench 1.6 meters wide.
Modifications of BMD-2
The airborne troops use two modifications of the airborne combat vehicle:
- BMD-2K - command version of the vehicle, additionally equipped with an R-173 radio station and a gasoline generator electrical energy AB-0.5-3-P/30 and gyroscopic semi-compass GPK-59;
- BMD-2M - in addition to standard weapons, it has a double Kornet ATGM installation; in addition, a weapon control system is installed with the ability to target a target using a thermal imager.
On January 23, 1976, at the parachute track of the 76th Guards Airborne Division Kislovo, for the first time in the world, military equipment and crew were dropped from an aircraft using a parachute-jet system, called “Reactavr”. The crew included A.V. Margelov and L.I. Shcherbakov.
Landing of the BMD-1 on the Reaktavr PRS.
The adoption of this parachute-jet system into service by the Airborne Forces in 1976 made it possible to reduce the time required to assemble personnel and equipment at the landing site after landing.
In practice it looks like this. During experimental exercises in 1983, eight objects with Reaktavr systems were landed.
From the moment the first vehicle left the plane to the collection of all eight vehicles at a distance of 1.5 kilometers from the landing site, only 12-15 minutes passed, whereas with separate landing of crews and equipment, this would have taken 35-45 minutes.
By 1976, the USSR had already developed the Centaur multi-dome parachute-platform system, which made it possible to parachute the crew inside the BMD-1 airborne combat vehicle, first tested on January 5, 1073.
Usually, the crew leaves the aircraft after their combat vehicles, observing their movement in flight. However, in this case, after landing, the paratroopers find themselves scattered within a radius of several kilometers from the vehicle and, accordingly, spend a lot of time searching for it and preparing for movement. It was the full awareness of the importance of quickly preparing a vehicle for the start of hostilities that prompted in the 70s the commander of the USSR Airborne Forces, Army General V.F. Margelov, to identify a task of paramount importance - to create a method of joint landing of equipment with a crew.
After many experiments, the first joint landing took place in 1973 using a system called “Centaur”. The operation of the system was as follows: the airborne combat vehicle was equipped with two cosmonaut seats of the “Kazbek” type, developed by the chief designer of the Zvezda plant, Guy Ilyich Severin, Hero of Socialist Labor, but in a simplified version - “Kazbek-D” (it was not possible to install shock absorbers in the headrest area , and also had to abandon the individual casting of the inside of the chair, like the astronauts).
The landing was carried out on the P-7 parachute platform. The result of the reset proved that the use of this method allows not only to save the lives of paratroopers, but also their combat readiness.
However, preparation for landing of BMD on a parachute platform with a multi-dome system (ISS) required a lot of time and material resources, especially during mass landings, which were planned to be used in the “big” war. Landing platforms, already loaded with combat vehicles, were towed to the airfield on wheels from their deployment sites trucks at a speed of up to 10 km/h, but it was still necessary to accurately “roll” the platform to the plane, which was done manually.
The multi-dome system was transported separately by additional vehicles, mounted on a vehicle directly near the aircraft, and only then the resulting monocargo was launched into the aircraft’s cargo compartment using a hoist. Transportation to the airfield required good roads, since it was impossible to tow platforms with military equipment off-road. Preparation of platforms for landing, loading and securing military equipment on them, concentration to aircraft parking areas, installation; parachute system, loading onto aircraft took up to 15–18 hours (according to the experience of regimental exercises). This had a negative impact on the combat readiness and operational use of airborne assault forces.
The design of the parachute-rocket systems (PRS) made it possible to store the BMD-1 in parks with landing equipment mounted on them in the “stowed” position. The vehicles advanced to the waiting areas for loading onto the plane under their own power, and the method of placing landing equipment on them made it possible to march over rough terrain over a distance of up to 500 kilometers and, if necessary, even fire from standard weapons. On site, the crew could immediately begin transferring the PRS to the “landing” position, which took no more than 30 minutes. Then the BMD-1 moved under its own power to be loaded into the aircraft (strapless parachute landing systems with the same advantages appeared later). Thus, the time from leaving the park to loading onto the plane was significantly reduced.
The landing itself was also accelerated, since the rate of reduction of the load on the PRS reached 20–25 m/s (about 3 times higher than on the parachute-platform system), which made the system practically invulnerable to enemy fire from the ground. Near the ground, due to the operation of the braking propulsion system, which consisted of three soft-landing jet engines, the speed was reduced to almost zero. This increased the landing accuracy. For shock absorption during landing, two foam shock-absorbing bars were installed under the bottom of the combat vehicle.
The PRS mounted on the BMD-1 made up a smaller share of the landing monocargo, both in weight and in size, which generally made it possible to land more cargo in one air echelon. In addition, the combat vehicle was parachuted with an increased amount of ammunition and fuel. After landing, the PRS did not leave huge sheets of parachutes around the vehicle - a “white swamp”, which often prevented it from starting to move - the system had only one dome with an area of 540 square meters, the Centaur landed on five domes of 760 square meters each.
The Reactavr testers are A.V. Margelov and L.I. Shcherbakov.
Placing a crew member in a Kazbek-D seat in the BMD-1 hull during landing.
From the memoirs of Hero of Russia Alexander Vasilyevich Margelov, one of the creators of the “Centaur” and “Reactaur”, the first tester of these systems:
“As for the Reactavr test, most of all the specialists were concerned about the reliability of the parachute-reactive system. Its calculated reliability was 0.95, but practical resets after all the modifications and upgrades were only 47. But this result was considered quite good, given the significant advantages of the system when combat use compared to parachute-platform means...
Commander Margelov entrusted this experiment to two volunteers - me and Lieutenant Colonel Shcherbakov. I was appointed crew commander. Leonid, who knew the combat vehicle very well, was appointed driver. Upon arrival at the 76th Guards Chernigov Airborne Division, we were introduced to our backups - conscript guards paratroopers. There were three of them left out of the six selected - half of them suddenly had poor health... The guys actively, with souls, took part in all preparatory work: when installing a parachute system, equipping engines with powder bombs, mooring the PRS to a combat vehicle.
Deputy Chairman of the Scientific and Technical Committee Vitaly Pariysky boarded the plane (it coincided that the same AN-12B with the same crew as during the first experiment with the Centaur arrived for landing), he supervised our landing in the Kazbek- D", and then communicated between the crew and the ground through the pilots.
It didn’t take long to fly; after declaring two minutes of readiness, the crew switched to direct communication with the ground. And again a coincidence - the communication was again prepared by Colonel B.G. Zhukov, and, as during the landing in the Centaur, it turned out to be one-way. Only this time the “reactaurs” heard “ground”, but they were not heard... Zhukov briefly, but in detail, during a few seconds of descent, reported to the crew about the operation of the parachute system - everything is fine! The pilot chute removed the complex from the plane - again the “pendulum” - moments of descent on the stabilizing parachute - the main canopy opened, two telescopic probes were deposited at the prescribed length. The moment they touched the ground, the soft landing engines fired: explosion, gases, smoke! Pariysky, who had jumped after the complex, landed nearby.
To conduct the experiment, a landing site was specially chosen where there was more snow. However, the complex was applied to the rolled icy road, so we felt a solid shock overload. At the moment of impact with the ground, the connection started working - just at this time Shcherbakov congratulated me on a safe landing.
The car rushed across the landing site. The crew completed all driving and aimed fire tasks. Having approached the podium, he reported to the commander about the completion of the task. After congratulations, the crew was “captured” by doctors. Our body temperature turned out to be elevated, and so did our blood pressure. Leonid felt nauseous, his head was spinning, all his bones ached, he could not even drink the beaker of alcohol offered by a serious doctor. But within an hour, vital parameters returned to normal. Leonid Ivanovich believes that this landing significantly “damaged” his spine. A few years later he even had surgery on his vertebra. I didn’t feel any deterioration in my health after the experiment.”
On airborne weapons There are the following parachute-jet systems of the following modifications:
parachute-jet system PRSM-915 (for BMD-1);
parachute-jet system;
parachute-jet system PRSM-916 (for BMD-2);
parachute-rocket system PRSM-926 (for 2S9 “NONA”).
For example, here are the characteristics of PRSM-925 (for BTR-D):
flight weight of the vehicle with PRSM-925, 8000–8800 kg;
landing height above the landing site, 500–1500 m;
landing site height above sea level, up to 2500 m;
vertical speed of descent on the main parachute at air temperature near the ground from -50 to +50 degrees, 23 m/s;
charge and air temperature range. 0С from -50 to +50;
nominal landing speed of the machine, 3.5-5.5 m/s;
the maximum (allowable when dropping) wind speed at the ground is up to 10 m/s.
Scheme of landing the BTR-D on the Reaktavr ARS.
Exactly 40 years ago, near Pskov, the Reaktavr parachute rocket system was first successfully tested, allowing personal composition of the Airborne Forces parachute directly into the equipment itself. Sergey Varshavchik recalls the details.
On January 23, 1976, near Pskov, the Reaktavr system for landing military equipment with a crew of Major Alexander Margelov and Lieutenant Colonel Leonid Shcherbakov was successfully tested for the first time. After 20 years, both were awarded the title of Hero of Russia for their courage in carrying out a risky task. The Margelov surname turned out to be forever associated with the history of the Airborne Forces.
Gaining time in battle
The system for landing the crew inside an airborne combat vehicle (BMD-1) using jet parachute traction got its name from the words “jet Centaur”. “Centaur” was the name given to the BMD-1 lowering system via a parachute landing platform. The experiment was carried out at the Tula parachute track training center 106th Guards Airborne Division.
No one has ever been thrown out of an airplane before military equipment along with the personnel inside. The idea belonged to the Commander-in-Chief of the Airborne Forces, Hero of the Soviet Union, Army General Vasily Margelov.
On that moment airborne equipment in the form of artillery self-propelled units, airborne combat vehicles, vehicles and engineering equipment were delivered to the ground in two ways: through parachute landing platforms and parachute-rocket systems. The latter, upon landing, in a fraction of a second damped the rate of descent of heavy loads and automatically released them from the suspension slings. The personnel descended separately by parachute.
But in order to take their places in combat vehicles, in a real battle, crews sometimes need minutes, which the enemy may not provide. How to gain time? Margelov came to a paradoxical conclusion: the personnel must be parachuted in the equipment itself!
Who will sacrifice themselves?
Risk? Yes, huge. Many in the country's military leadership did not approve of this idea. Some of the multi-star generals even twirled their fingers at their temples: they say that the main paratrooper of the USSR had fantasized to the point of the impossible. Others approved the idea in principle, but believed that it was not yet technically feasible.
Finally, brave souls were needed - after all, no one could guarantee that they would not crash upon landing. You cannot give orders in such a matter. This is not a war - just an experiment, albeit a very dangerous one. When asked by Defense Minister Marshal Andrei Grechko who will be inside the BMD-1 launch, Vasily Margelov firmly answered that he himself. He could not answer otherwise. He had to do everything to ensure that the airborne troops reached high quality new level combat training.
One of the best
During the Great Patriotic War The paratroopers established themselves as one of the most persistent fighters of the Red Army. They fought back into the interior of the country at the beginning of the war, fought valiantly in the ranks of the defenders of Moscow and Stalingrad, and participated in Battle of Kursk, took part in the capture of Vienna and the battles for Berlin.
But despite the fact that Soviet paratroopers repeatedly carried out airborne operations during the war, in most battles they fought as infantry, albeit highly trained ones. Therefore, after the war, with the advent of the atomic era, the Airborne Forces faced new tasks: to become what is now called rapid reaction troops.
Until 1954, the country's airborne troops were alternately led by 7 generals, among whom we can note the first commander of the Airborne Forces, Twice Hero of the Soviet Union Vasily Glazunov, as well as Hero of the Soviet Union Alexander Gorbatov.
Uncle Vasya's troops
However, despite their military merits, the commanders did not stay long in the post of commander-in-chief of the Airborne Forces. As a result, the personnel reshuffle had a negative impact on the combat training of the troops entrusted to them.
The fact that by the 80s of the twentieth century the Airborne Forces had become the most massive and combat-ready among their kind in the world is the merit, first of all, of the man who led them for many decades - General Margelov.
It is no coincidence that in the airborne forces the abbreviation VDV is still unofficially deciphered as “Uncle Vasya’s troops.” “Our Chapai,” Vasily Filippovich’s subordinates respectfully called him.
Like most previous commanders of the Airborne Forces, Margelov came from other branches of the military, but with landing specifics was quite familiar - before his appointment he commanded the 76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Division, and then was the commander of the 37th Guards Airborne Svir Red Banner Corps.
Paratrooper at 40 years old
It is curious that he made his first parachute jump at the age of 40 - before taking command of the paratroopers. At the same time, he made a bet on several jumps with another newly promoted airborne division commander, Hero of the Soviet Union, General Mikhail Denisenko, who crashed during another parachute jump in 1949. Fate protected Margelov - until the end of his life he made more than 60 air landings.
During the Battle of Moscow he commanded the 1st Special Ski Regiment Marine Corps. Being the commander of the Airborne Forces, Margelov did not forget his brave sailors, introducing a vest into the paratroopers’ uniform as a sign of continuity from one brave branch of troops to another. Another striking feature of the paratrooper was his beret - first crimson (following the example of Western paratroopers), and then blue.
Margelov's reforms included not only changes in uniforms. The new commander of the Airborne Forces abandoned the outdated doctrine of using airborne troops only as a means to hold bridgeheads until the main forces arrived. In conditions modern warfare passive defense inevitably led to defeat.
New military equipment
Margelov believed that after the drop, the paratroopers should conduct active, offensive actions, not allowing the stunned enemy to come to their senses, and counterattack them. However, in order for the paratroopers to be able to maneuver widely, they needed to be equipped with their own armored vehicles, to increase their firepower and update the aviation fleet.
During the Great Patriotic War, for example, winged infantry fought mainly with the help of light small arms. After the war, the troops began to be equipped with special airborne equipment. By the time Margelov assumed the post of commander, the Airborne Forces were armed with a light self-propelled artillery installation ASU-57 with modifications.
Vasily Filippovich gave the task to the military-industrial complex to develop a more modern airborne artillery vehicle. As a result, ASU-57 was replaced by ASU-85, developed on the basis of the PT-76 light amphibious tank. On the battlefield, a combat vehicle was also required for the movement of personnel in radioactively contaminated areas. The BMP-1 army infantry fighting vehicle was not suitable landing troops due to the large weight (13 tons) during landing.
"Thunder" of landing vehicles
As a result, at the end of the 60s, the BMD-1 (airborne combat vehicle) was adopted, whose weight was slightly more than 7 tons, the armament was a semi-automatic 2A28 “Thunder” cannon, and the crew consisted of seven people. Self-propelled artillery guns, fire control vehicles, reconnaissance and command post vehicles were developed on the basis of the BMD-1.
Through the efforts of Margelov, the battered Li-2, Il-14, Tu-2 and Tu-4 aircraft were replaced with powerful and modern An-22 and Il-76, which made it possible to take on board significantly more paratroopers and military equipment than before. “Uncle Vasya” also took care of improving the paratroopers’ personal weapons. Margelov personally met with the developer of the famous assault rifle, Mikhail Kalashnikov, and agreed to create an “airborne” version of the AK, with a folding metal butt.
Son instead of father
After the Minister of Defense did not agree with the participation of the Commander-in-Chief of the Airborne Forces in testing the Reactavr system, he offered one of his five sons, Major Alexander Margelov, to the crew. Alexander Vasilyevich was an employee of the Scientific and Technical Committee of the Airborne Forces, which was responsible for preparing equipment and personnel for landing.
The personal example of Margelov’s son was supposed to convince the Airborne Forces of the success of the new landing option. Another participant in the experiment was Margelov Jr.’s colleague at the Scientific and Technical Commission of the Airborne Forces, Lieutenant Colonel Leonid Shcherbakov.
On January 23, 1976, for the first time, a parachute-propelled landing was carried out from an An-12 BMD-1 military transport aircraft. After landing, the crew immediately fired blank shells briefly, demonstrating their readiness for combat.
During the tests, Margelov chain-smoked his favorite Belomor at the command post and kept a loaded pistol ready so that in case of failure he would shoot himself. But everything turned out well.
In mid-July, a large-scale tactical exercise took place near Ryazan Airborne troops and Military Transport Aviation. The Ryazan sky has not seen so many domes for a long time: over 2.5 thousand military personnel took part in the maneuvers, and several hundred units of military equipment were involved, including 66 aircraft. Dome systems blossomed over 70 platforms with combat vehicles. One of the goals of the exercise was to test promising landing equipment: in particular, as reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense, during special flight tests as part of the Bakhcha-U-PDS development work, two BMD-4M and two BTR-MDM were landed, and the last two contained crews. Powerful 14-ton vehicles, dropped from a height of almost two kilometers, successfully landed, showing their readiness to immediately enter into battle. About how Russia learned to land military equipment with crews inside, how complex this process is and how our designers were able to make armor “ flying,” and its “flight” is safe, journalist Alexey Egorov will tell in the new issue, published on the holiday for “ blue berets» a week, three days after Airborne Forces Day. From the sky - straight into battle The idea of dropping equipment by parachute with the crews inside belongs personally to the legendary creator of the Airborne Forces, Hero of the Soviet Union, Army General Vasily Filippovich Margelov. Previously, vehicles were dropped separately, personnel - separately. At the landing site, the crews had to look for their vehicles, and they could sometimes be at an impressive distance. However, for the mass use of this landing method, much was missing, including the ejection seat system that was not fully thought out. This method presented significant risks. And then the commander decided to send his son, senior lieutenant Alexander Margelov. On January 5, 1973, together with an experienced parachutist, Lieutenant Colonel Leonid Zuev, they made a jump inside the BMD-1 on a parachute platform from an An-12 military transport aircraft. Three years later, in January 1976, soft landing BMD-1, landed on a parachute-rocket system in the Reaktavr complex. There were also two crew members inside the car - Alexander Margelov (now a major) and. The landing was carried out at the risk of life, because the paratroopers did not have any personal means of salvation. However, the use of reactive systems made this jump successful. The new scheme made it possible to ensure the introduction of airborne divisions into battle not within 24 hours, as before, but within hours and minutes. During the Cold War, this became a serious trump card for our country and its armed forces. In 1996, for courage and heroism shown during testing, fine-tuning and mastering special equipment, both officers were awarded the title of Hero of Russia. 
Naturally, our experiments soon became known abroad. Work on similar topics started in the USA, France, and England. But, as is admitted CEO JSC "Research Institute of Parachute Engineering" Sergei Khursevich, to this day no one in the world conducts this kind of tests.
“This is a very complex technical event, and Russian school Today, the parachute industry is the only one that ensures the proper level of reliability of parachute equipment and technology,” says the head of the research institute.Behind last years landing systems, which allow military equipment with crews inside to be thrown out of the sky, have undergone significant changes. According to the leading researcher at the Research Testing Center for Aerospace Medicine and Military Ergonomics of the Central Research Institute of the Air Force of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Doctor of Medical Sciences Professor Yuri Moiseev, among the adjustments is the refusal to use jet engines. Used in braking systems, they could fail. Jet brakes have been replaced by inflatable shock absorbers, which provide a much softer landing. A special sensor displayed on a monitor inside the combat vehicle allows the crew to control the compression of the shock-absorbing system filling. First things first - airplanes If for paratroopers the key task is to make a jump, then for military transport aviation pilots the main thing is to raise future parachutists to the required height. During the past large-scale exercises, the commander of the Military Air Forces, Lieutenant General Vladimir Benediktov, personally checked the readiness of people and equipment to carry out this task. In total, more than seven dozen rose into the sky then aircraft- these are not only airplanes, but also helicopters and drones. The commander's special concern is that the pilots bring their vehicles to the drop point with an accuracy of seconds, and this is not easy, given that the planes take off from the airfields of Ryazan, Ivanovo, Ulyanovsk, and the Tver region.
“The method of monitoring flight personnel is called “foot flight,” notes General Benediktov. - This is when particularly difficult and critical areas, especially in a mixed formation, are subject to drawing. So that each crew understands their role and place in any order, at any time, and is able to react correctly in the event of any introductory or emergency situations.”The aviators are in control of the loading of armored vehicles intended for landing. There are a lot of difficulties here. For example, the BMD-4M occupies the interior of the Il-76 almost completely: the distance at the narrowest point is only 26 centimeters. Such tiny gaps, as pilots say, are real headache. Indeed, in the event of an emergency during a reset, the combat vehicle may come off the guides and become jammed in the opening. And if the cargo parachute is released... Such unpleasant situations have already happened, fortunately, they managed without serious incidents. That is why every little detail is thought through. For example, to exit the BMD-4M from the cargo compartment, special “skis” are provided, which in turn roll along the cargo deck on rollers. In this case, the tracks do not touch the floor - distortions or derailment from the guides are excluded. Test of character IN Russian army The 929th State Flight Test Center named after V.P. Chkalov is tasked, in fact, with testing everything related to the sky and flights. There was even a flight testing department for parachute equipment created here, and it was its employees, active officers of the Russian army, who participated in the landing inside combat vehicles at that same exercise near Ryazan. Before the jump, all equipment was carefully checked again and the equipment was adjusted. When falling from the sky, the weakest link in the human body is the spine. If a person sits as in a regular chair, with the back held vertically, the load on the spine will be maximum. Associate Professor of the Research Center of Aerospace Medicine and Military Ergonomics of the Central Research Institute of the Air Force of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Candidate of Medical Sciences Nikolai Olenev notes that the current landing technologies inside equipment are akin to space ones. “Remember how we worked with astronauts: a support was made for each one,” he notes. - According to the shape, according to the figure. They had overloads up to 12 and more units. Here, in general, there will be an overload, and in a good way, of course, there should be a support.”
Everything inside the combat vehicle is provided for a special jump. The testers are fixed with six attachment points: on the toes, above the knee, and the head and arms are also secured. The innovation of the current test was the use of an updated chair. If in previous cases chairs of the “Kazbek” type were used, which were only suitable for landing, and when the BMD needed to be brought into a combat position, it was necessary to install ordinary, standard seats, then the current chairs are unified. They are transferred from the landing position to the working state very quickly. An important point: in the event of an emergency, the crew of the vehicle is provided for leaving the vehicle right in the sky. To do this, each paratrooper carries a spare parachute PZ-81. The minimum safe height at which it can be used is 150 meters. Certainly, similar situation emergency. It can occur if, for example, the damping system sensor mentioned above informs about a failure, and then the car will have to be abandoned by individual landing. For the entire history of the Airborne Forces No more than 60 people made the jump inside the military equipment. In June 2003, seven officers performed such a landing, and in the winter of 2010, six paratroopers landed on three BMD-2s. On the ground, the heroes were personally met by the then commander of the Airborne Forces, Lieutenant General Vladimir Shamanov: he presented each with a personalized watch, and also announced the decision to nominate military personnel - officers, sergeants and privates - to be awarded the Order of Courage. At the current exercise, not only people, but also new equipment of the Airborne Forces. Let's say the BMD-4M is a completely new generation of airborne combat vehicles, a reliable all-terrain vehicle, equipped, moreover, with powerful weapons. The gun of this BMD is similar to that of a tank and has a caliber of 100 millimeters. Moreover, it can fire not only shells, but also guided missiles. The BTR-MDM “Rakushka” is also famous for its cross-country capability. " Military acceptance" about this car, I tested it off-road, in water, in snow. The exam was passed flawlessly. 
According to the commander Russian Airborne Forces Colonel General Andrei Serdyukov, ostentatious tactical exercise with practical drop airborne assault turned out to be Lately the largest in scope and was successful. One of the goals of the maneuvers, according to the general, was to test promising landing equipment for modern equipment supplied to the Airborne Forces. “The testers coped with the task, their courage is admirable!” - Andrei Serdyukov emphasized after the completion of the exercise. The Airborne Forces headquarters also believes that the successful demonstration of the landing of the BTR-MDM with testers inside the vehicle allows us to say that the troops are receiving full-fledged military equipment capable of performing a wide range of tasks in the interests of the “winged infantry.”