BRDM-1 ATGM Vehicle

     Notes:  This is the basic BRDM-1 scout car fitted with a large opening in the rear and racks mounting AT-1, AT-2, or AT-3 antitank guided missiles.  Its purpose was to provide rapid mobile antiarmor capability to mechanized units, and also provide an antitank vehicle light enough to be airdropped or sling-loaded and be used by Naval Infantry.  It is still in use by some Third World countries, but has largely been replaced by BRDM-2-based ATGM vehicles; this is especially true with the AT-1 and AT-2 missile carriers.

     The launchers are simple missile racks and are linked to a raised sight for the gunner.  The gunner actually sits in the hull under armor during launch and guiding the missile to the target.  AT-1 launchers are at the rear of the vehicle; AT-2 and AT-3 launchers are on top of the vehicle. Like the standard BRDM-1, the roof is open-topped near the center of the fighting compartment for reloading of missiles and to provide local defense.  Such defense is limited to the crew’s small arms, grenades, and weapons. The engine is a GAZ-40PB 6-cylinder in-line gasoline engine providing 90 horsepower.

BRDM-2 ATGM Vehicle

     Notes:  This vehicle is a tank destroyer version of the BRDM-2 scout car, along the same lines as the BRDM-1 ATGM Vehicle.  They were first seen in public used by Egyptian and Syrian forces against the Israelis in the 1973 Yom Kippur war, carrying AT-2 or AT-3 missiles, and have been steadily upgraded since then.  The launcher can be raised for firing or lowered under armor protection if necessary, and the gunner stays under armor protection while firing and guiding the missiles.  The launchers consist of launch boxes on an elevating mount. Normally, the launcher is lowered under armor for reloading, but it can be reloaded while raised if desired. Raising the mount for firing takes two phases (10 seconds).  The engine is a GAZ-41 V-8 gasoline engine, connected to a rather clunky and balky transmission.  Amphibious operation only requires that the trim vane be erected at the front, which also actuates the waterjets, propellers, and closes the various openings on the outside of the vehicle that are normally open.  It is also recommended, but not strictly required, that the missile launcher be withdrawn into the hull and the opening sealed.

     By 2000, the AT-2-armed version was almost never seen, and the AT-3-armed version rare; most versions of this vehicle are armed with AT-4 or AT-5 missiles, and these versions can be armed with a mixture of both depending on the wishes of the crew and the availability of supply. 

BTR-RD Robot

     Notes:  Despite the name, this is not a robot in the western sense of the word; instead, this is an ATGM carrier version of the BTR-D airborne combat vehicle.  A large single-piece hatch is provided at the front part of the vehicle, and a retractable AT-4/5 ATGM launcher is raised and lowered through this hatch.  (Raising or lowering the launcher takes 2 phases – 10 seconds.) This weapon can be operated via a remote control at a range of 20 meters.  The BTR-RD also carries a tripod-mounted AT-4 ATGM launcher as part of its basic load. For the bow machineguns, traverse is limited, allowing 15 degrees up and down and only about 25 degrees from side to side.

     The engine is 270-horsepower 5D-20 diesel engine, giving the BTR-RD good power for its light weight; the transmission is manual. The suspension is specially designed for the BTR-RD’s role; it is a variable-height hydropneumatic suspension that allows the BTR-RD to “squat” when being carried in aircraft and being airdropped.  The roadwheels are likewise small, and the tracks are a mere 230mm wide.  A side-effect of this suspension appears to be a relatively decent ride.  The BTR-RD is amphibious with a little preparation – a trim vane must be erected, bilge pumps turned on, and a periscope must be inserted into a socket and extended by the driver.  The bilge pump has a manual backup. This takes 10 minutes.  Propulsion in the water is by hydrojets. The hydrojets have shutters which allow for surprising maneuverability when swimming – the BTR-RD can turn a complete circle in place while floating.  This is aided by the hydrojets’ being able to suck in water as well as expel it.

     The driver has three vision blocks to the front; the left bow machinegunner has vision blocks to his front and left side, and the right bow machinegunner, though he has no hatch, has vision blocks to his front and right side. All three can remove their front vision blocks and replace them with night vision blocks. The three firing ports on each side of the vehicle are retained. There is no rear door, with all troops entering and exiting through the various roof hatches. The commander’s position has no night vision, though he does have all-around vision blocks and an IR/white light searchlight, and a traversable periscope. The crew is protected by a collective NBC system.

KBM Khrizantema

     Notes:  The KBM Khrizantema (Chrysanthemum) tank destroyer is an ATGM vehicle based upon the BMP-3 chassis.  Armament consists of a twin AT-15 Chrysanthemum ATGM launcher on a telescoping mast.  The vehicle has a two-man crew; the driver sits on the front left, and the commander on the front right.  The commander aims and fires the missiles via a downlinked sight.  It is possible for the commander to engage two targets at once if he uses a different method of guidance for each missile.  Guidance is fire and forget once the targets are locked on. The missiles are automatically reloaded when the mast is retracted into the vehicle.  The Russians are actively seeking buyers for this advanced tank destroyer.

     The driver of the Khrizantema sits in the center front of the vehicle, with the engine and transmission to his front in a unified powerpack.  He has three vision blocks, and the center block can be removed and replaced with a night vision block.  His controls are a conventional steering yoke with a gas and brake pedal; the transmission is automatic.  Early production versions of the Khrizantema were equipped with a 450-horsepower UTD-29 supercharged diesel engine, but this was quickly replaced in production with the 500-horsepower UTD-29M version, and most early-production Khrizantemas were retrofitted with this engine.  The longer hull uses six roadwheels and three return rollers on each side, with the return rollers being under a shallow side skirt that is there primarily to increase floatation.  The Khrizantema is amphibious with preparation (a trim vane must be extended at the front and a bilge pump turned on); once in the water, propulsion is switched to hydrojets until the tracks touch ground again on the other side of the water obstacle.  Maneuverability in the water is similar to that of the BMD-1, though due to the heavier weight the Khrizantema is not as susceptible to water currents.  The Khrizantema also normally carries a snorkel device – the Khrizantema, when swimming, does not have a lot of freeboard and the snorkel is used when the water is too deep to simply drive across, but not deep enough for the Khrizantema to float. The BMP-3 chassis’ base has proven itself to be quite adept at operations in desert terrain, even to the point that it is mechanically quite capable of continuing to operate at full speed in a Middle East dust storm (seeing where you’re going and finding a target are of course another matter).  The Khrizantema has also been praised by several export buyers for its ability to overcome vertical obstacles and trenches that might stop another tracked IFV. Navigation is aided by an inertial navigation with both a gyroscopic and transceiver backup; these are available to both the driver and commander.  Each roadwheel on the Khrizantema has separate hydropneumatic suspension elements, giving the Khrizantema a ride that is remarkably smooth compared to previous Russian tracked vehicles.

     The rear fighting compartment of the Khrizantema is rather cramped due to the large size of the AT-15 missiles stored there, though well laid out. Raising and lowering the launcher mast takes three phases (15 seconds). The mast must be retracted to reload missiles.  Once raised again and a target acquired, it takes one phase (5 seconds) to lock on to the target. The crew does not have any local defense systems which may be mounted, other than small arms, grenades, and other possible personal weapons. The crew is protected by NBC Overpressure with a collective vehicle backup, but the launcher cannot be reloaded while the Khrizantema is NBC-sealed. The Khrizantema is equipped with the Shtora-1 soft-kill APS system. The Shtora-1 consists of sensors and equipment mounted atop the hull and control systems mounted inside the hull; the primary controls for the Shtora-1 on the Khrizantema are at the commander’s station.  The Shtora-1 system includes an electro-optical jamming system to jam wire-guided ATGMs (on a roll of 12+ on a d20, the difficulty to the ATGM gunner is increased by one level; outstanding success indicates that the incoming missile pre-detonates before it can hit the Khrizantema).  A laser warning system is also included with the Shtora-1; when the Khrizantema is being lased by a laser designator, an alarm sounds inside the Khrizantema, and a pair of smoke grenades are automatically launched to help obscure the Khrizantema to the laser beam.  The laser warning system can also be triggered manually by the commander. The smoke grenades can also be triggered by the gunner manually if he feels it is necessary; the Khrizantema has six smoke grenade launchers on each side of the hull.   The Shtora-1 also includes a pair of IRCM lights (one on the turret on each side of and above the main gun) that emit coded, pulsed IR beams to decoy IR-guided munitions; their effectiveness is the same as listed for the electro-optical jammer above, and both have a 360-degree range of protection, as well as 180-degrees upwards.  They can also temporarily blind IR sights and image intensifiers; this is successful on a roll of 8 on a d20 for IR sights and 5 for image intensifiers.  A computer is provided to tie all of this information from the Shtora-1 and other sensors together.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This vehicle was unheard of outside of Russia until units of the Panzergruppe Oberdorf encountered them in late 1998 near Kalisz.

     Merc 2000 Notes: Though Russia eventually built some for themselves, the first customers of this vehicle were actually the South Koreans.

*Hull floor AV is 6.

Volsk Kornet-E/BMP-3

     Notes:  This is an ATGM vehicle used by Russia, based upon the BMP-3 chassis.  (See the Khrizantema entry above for the automotive particulars.) The turret has been replaced by a twin launcher for AT-14 Kornet missiles.  This launcher is retracted into the hull between firings, where it is automatically reloaded.  The Volsk Kornet-E/BMP-3 also carries a ground mount for the missiles, which can be dismounted and used away from the vehicle.  The bow machineguns of the standard BMP-3 have also been removed, as have firing ports, troop hatches, and rear door.  The vehicle mount is reloaded from two 6-round internal magazines; one is typically loaded with HEAT rounds and one with thermobaric rounds.  The driver is seated in the center of the front with the gunner to the rear of him, and the commander to the right of the driver.  The crew does not have any local defense systems which may be mounted, other than small arms, grenades, and other possible personal weapons.

     Compared with the Khrizantema, the Kornet-E/BMP-3 does not have the defensive systems, nor does it have the advanced fire control system or as advanced missiles. It is, however, less expensive, both in RL and game terms.

*Hull floor AV is 6.

Volsk AT-6/MT-LB

     Notes:  This version of the MT-LB APC was first fielded in 1990.  It is a standard MT-LB with an external mount for a single AT-6 Spiral missile launcher.  This launcher can be retracted under armor protection for reloading purposes, though it is then manually reloaded.  The AT-6/MT-LB is fitted with night vision devices and sights for the missiles.  The vehicle is otherwise identical to the standard MT-LB.

     The MT-LB chassis takes for form of a long-low box, with a hatch in the front left for the driver with the commander on the right side of the front. The driver can replace his front vision block with a night vision block, and the commander has a small, short-range WL/IR searchlight with a range of about 40 meters; this is primarily to aid the driver when driving at night. The engine is in the front of the vehicle. A small aisle between the commander and driver gives access to the fighting compartment.  On the roof of the troop compartment are two large rectangular hatches. The fighting compartment has two large doors in the rear face, and four firing ports, one of which are in each side and one of which is in each rear door.

     The engine of the MT-LB chassis is a 240-horsepower YaMZ-238 diesel engine.  This engine, while only modest in power for an armored vehicle, generates considerable torque and the AT-6/MT-LB is capable of towing 6.5 tons.  The treads can be replaced with tracks almost twice as wide as normal (585mm) for even better performance in snow and swamps. Like most Soviet-designed vehicles of the period, the AT-6/MT-LB’s suspension is of conventional torsion bars and has shock absorbers on the first and last set of roadwheels.  Construction of the MT-LB chassis is largely of steel and armor is rather thin, especially on the sides and rear.