Zvezda 3554 BMP-2 Russian infantry fighting vehicle

The BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle was developed in the 1970s and entered service with the Soviet Army in 1980. Serial production started in the same year and has been continued until now (2017). The BMP-2 is powered by a single 300hp UTD-20-3 diesel engine and can carry up to 7 troops. The basic armament of the BMP-2 is: a 30mm 2A42 automatic cannon, 1 PKT machine gun cal .: 7.62 mm and 1 ATGM launcher (anti-tank guided missile) 9M111 Bassoon or 9M113 Competition.

The BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle was developed as a successor to the BMP-1. The main changes, compared to its predecessor, focused on better anti-tank weapons and increasing the durability of the vehicle on the battlefield. The BMP-2 definitely met the constructors' assumptions in these fields, and at the same time had the same advantages as the BMP-1: first of all, very high mobility on the battlefield and the ability to overcome water obstacles without special preparation. Thanks to these advantages, as well as a relatively simple and reliable design, the BMP-2 played a significant role in the war in Afghanistan in 1979-1989, being the basic equipment of mechanized infantry units fighting there. The BMP-2 was also widely exported to the Warsaw Pact countries, including Poland. It was not included in the equipment of the Polish Army until 1989, but it remains in its equipment to this day (2017).