Under the 2024 production contracts, the Russian Armed Forces have received a new batch of armored combat and personnel transport vehicles. As recently announced, these include BMP-3 Infantry Fighting Vehicles for the Ground Forces and BMD-4M armored vehicles for the Airborne Forces, equipped with new protection and camouflage systems.
As reported in recent months, although specific units provided to different forces have not been confirmed, the Russian military-industrial complex continues to deliver successive batches of armored vehicles to replace those lost in combat. However, as seen in various official and viralized images, the Russian Ministry of Defense has made it a requirement to include a new mandatory protection package for armored vehicles deployed on the battlefield.
This was expressed by Rostec in one of its most recent official statements, highlighting: “The additional protection includes kits to enhance the armor and grid screens. Additionally, the vehicles are equipped with ‘Nakidka,’ a set of thermal and radar signature reduction materials made from non-flammable material, which increases the survivability of the equipment under combat conditions.”
The industrial complex also noted: “More than 80% of the weaponry used in the Special Military Operation (SMO) zone has been manufactured in our facilities. This includes artillery and flamethrower systems, air defense systems, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), firearms, ammunition, and, of course, armored vehicles such as infantry and airborne combat vehicles. In the first nine months of 2024, the Kurganmashzavod plant, part of the ‘Precision Complexes’ holding, increased BMP and BMD production by 20% compared to the same period last year. The plant is working at a fast pace, with some workshops operating 24 hours a day, like many other Rostec facilities. This allows us to fulfill the state defense order efficiently, with quality, and within the deadlines required by the military,” said Bekhan Ozdoev, a member of the Bureau of the Russian Union of Mechanical Engineers and the industrial director of the armaments cluster at Rostec State Corporation.
The mention of the production increase is no minor detail, as it indicates that despite sanctions, the Russian military industry continues to navigate them effectively, allowing for the ongoing delivery of new armored vehicles, as well as combat aircraft. Another relevant aspect is the large availability of reserve units, which are being refurbished and modernized for delivery to the Armed Forces.
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