Northwest Airborne Force's of Russia to receive BMD-4M in 2018.

The Airborne Force’s air assault large unit based in Pskov in northwest Russia will be the first to receive a batch of advanced military hardware in 2018, the Defense Ministry’s press office said.

The BMD-4M was displayed at Armiya 2016, exhibition held near moscow, Russia.

"In the first quarter of 2018, the Airborne Force’s large unit will receive a batch of upgraded BMD-4M airborne fighting vehicles and BTR-MDM tracked armored personnel carriers," the press office said. After the vehicles arrive at the unloading station, they will be handed over to their crews who have undergone special training.

The BMD-4M and BTR-MDM are advanced high-speed amphibian vehicles equipped with advanced hi-tech weapon systems. The vehicles will boost the combat and fire capabilities of the Pskov-based large unit. The BMD-4M airborne fighting vehicle has a 100mm gun-launcher with an automated ammunition stowage that stores 34 high-explosive/fragmentation rounds and four Arkan (NATO reporting name: AT-10 Stabber) missiles, a 30mm automatic gun with an ammunition load of 500 rounds and a 7.62mm machinegun. The main gun has a firing range of 5.5 km (against armored vehicles) and 7 km, depending on the type of a target.

© Copyright 2018 TASS. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.