Russian airborne tank units participate for the first time in Slavic Brotherhood exercise.

The recently formed tank units in Russian Airborne Troops will participate for the first time in Russian-Serbian-Belarussian Slavic Brotherhood exercise, Lieutenant-General Alexander Vyaznikov, head of the exercise and Airborne Force deputy commander for peacekeeping and collective operations of the Collective Security Treaty Organization rapid deployment force, said.

The BMD-4M is a "warhorse" of the Russian airborne troops (Picture source: Russian MoD)

In addition, the Slavic Brotherhood-2018 involves military units on new combat vehicles, such as BMD-4M airborne combat vehicles. A total of four such machines will participate in the exercise. The Slavic Brotherhood-2018 joint tactical exercise takes place on the Rayevsky proving ground in Krasnodar Territory from 18-28 June.

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.

Russian airborne tank units participate for the first time in Slavic Brotherhood exercise