BRDM - 2 The BRDM - 2 ( " Boyevaya Razvedyvatelnaya Dozornaya Mashina " , Боевая Разведывательная Дозорная Машина , literally " Combat Reconnaissance / Patrol Vehicle " † ) is an amphibious armoured patrol car used by Russia and the former Soviet Union . It was also known under designations BTR - 40PB , BTR - 40P - 2 and GAZ 41 - 08 . This vehicle , like many other Soviet designs , has been exported extensively and is in use in at least 38 countries . It was intended to replace the earlier BRDM - 1 with a vehicle that had improved amphibious capabilities and better armament . History . After few years of exploitation of BRDM - 1 by the Soviet Army its limitations and drawbacks became obvious . The vehicle had no turret and to operate the armament the gunner had to open a hatch and expose himself to enemy fire . The vehicle wasn ' t fitted with an NBC protection system , and had no night vision equipment by default . The vehicle also didn ' t have any kind of special sights which undermined its usability as a reconnaissance vehicle . These drawbacks encouraged the design team to create a new vehicle which would suit the modern battlefield . Construction . The BRDM - 2 has a crew of four , a driver , a co - driver , a commander , and a gunner . It has two pairs of chain - driven belly wheels lowered by the driver which allow trench crossing just like its predecessor and a centralized tire pressure regulation system which can be used to adjust the tire pressure of all four tires or individual tires while the vehicle is in motion to suit to the ground conditions . Externally , it differs from the BRDM - 1 due to its larger , box - like hull . It retains the boat - like bow of the BRDM - 1 . However , the crew compartment is now further forward and the new GAZ - 41 gasoline V - 8 engine is in the rear . Thanks to this the engine is much better protected from enemy fire . The engine compartment is also separated from the crew compartment with an armoured barrier . The driver ' s and commander ' s stations are in the front of the vehicle , driver is positioned on the left and commander is positioned on the right . Both of them sit in front of bulletproof windscreen which provide them with primary view of the battlefield . When in combat the windscreen can be additionally protected by twin armoured shutters . When the shutters are in their opened position they protect driver and commander from being blinded by the sunlight and ensure that the windscreen won ' t be blurred by rain or snow . The commander and driver have periscope s allowing both of them a more detailed view of the surrounding terrain . The commander has 6 TNP - A periscopes ( 5 in the front and 1 on the side of the vehicle ) , TPKU - 2B day sight and TKN - 1 night sight . The driver has 4 TNP - A periscopes ( all in the front ) , one of which can be replaced by TWN - 2B night vision device . The gunner is in the turret during combat but when traveling is seated inside the hull . The crew mounts and dismounts the vehicle via two hatches over driver ' s and commander ' s stations . On either side of the hull adjacent to the crew position , there is a firing port . Immediately behind the firing port there are three TNP - A periscopes which protrude from the outside of the hull , giving the crew some vision to the front and rear of the vehicle . The engine is larger than the BRDM ' s ( it is a 140 hp V - 8 instead of a 90 hp 6 - cylinder ) . The BRDM - 2 has an IR spotlight and four IR driving lights , as well as an over pressure collective NBC filter system . The IR spotlight is located on top of the commander ' s periscope . The vehicle also has R - 123 radio and an antenna on the right hand side of the hull next to the commander ' s hatch , for communication . There ' s also a winch mounted internally at the front hull with a 30 m cable and capacity of 4 tonnes . The winch is intended to used , among others , for self - recovery when stuck in difficult terrain . Also a spare tire can be mounted on top of the turret . This was most often practiced by Polish crews . Like its predecessor , the BRDM - 2 is amphibious . The GAZ - 41 gasoline V - 8 engine supplies power to the circular water - jet , equipped with a four - bladed propeller at the rear of the vehicle , which is covered with an armoured shutter while on land . This shutter must be removed before entering water . The water - jet allows amphibious travel with a speed of 10 km / h for 17 to 19 hours . A trim board that is stowed under the nose of the hull when traveling and is erected at the front of the hull before entering the water to improve vehicle ' s stability and displacement in water and prevent the water from flooding the bow of the BRDM - 2 . While in its traveling position it serves as additional armour . Armament . The armament is the same as the BTR - 60PB armoured personnel carrier , a 14 . 5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun with a coaxial 7 . 62 mm PKT general - purpose machine gun as a secondary weapon both in a small conical BPU - 1 turret mounted on the hull in a central position above the belly wheels . The 14 . 5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun has a practical rate of fire of 150 rounds per minute and cyclic rate of fire of 600 rounds per minute . It has an effective range during day time operations of 2 , 000 m . It can penetrate 20 mm of armour at range of 1000 m and 30 mm of armour at range of 500 m . It can fire at air targets and has a tactical anti - aircraft range of 1 , 400 m . It uses the 14 . 5 mm API - T , 14 . 5 mm I - T , 14 . 5 mm HE - T , 14 . 5 mm and MDZ type ammunition . The 7 . 62 mm PKT coaxial general - purpose machine gun has an effective range during day time operations of 1 , 000 m while the vehicle is stationary and from 400 m to 500 m while the vehicle is on the move . It is fired in 2 to 10 round bursts and has a practical rate of fire of 250 rounds per minute and cyclic rate of fire of 650 rounds per minute . The gunner is using the PP - 61AM sight during day time operations which has a field of view of 23 degrees and 2 , 6 magnification . The BPU - 1 turret is unusual because it has no top hatch opening . Contrary to the popular belief the BPU - 1 turret was originally designed for BRDM - 2 . The turret was later used in Soviet BTR - 60PB , Polish SKOT - 2A and Czechoslovak OT - 64A . The turret allows the armament to be elevated between −5 and + 30 degrees . On the left - hand side of the turret there is an air inlet on the hull top . There are also two air - inlet louvers in the forward of the engine compartment ' s roof and four smaller air - inlet louvers to the rear . Both sides have centrally placed vision blocks . The armor on the vehicle which is composed of welded steel , protects it fully against small arms fire and small shell fragments but doesn ' t protect it against big artillery fragments and a . 50 - calibre machine gun fire which can penetrate BRDM - 2 maximum armor of 14 millimeters . The BRDM - 2 - series tires are not protected by armour . They are particularly vulnerable to puncture from fire of all kinds . There are three different production lots that have different cooling vents on the engine deck . Late production version has mushroom - type vents . It also has slightly modified turret and can elevate its armament to + 60 degrees . Final production BRDM - 2s have additional turret periscopes and a TNA - 2 navigation apparatus . Variants . BRDM - 2 has flaws that are also apparent in other Soviet vehicles . These include the low rate of ergonomy and protection of the crew and large fuel consumption . The low ergonomy level was addressed in Polish BRDM - 2M - 96 modernization and its successors , BRDM - 2M - 96i , BRDM - 2M - 96ik " Szakal " , BRDM - 2M - 96ik " Szakal Plus " , BRDM - 2M - 97 " Żbik - B " , BRDM - 2M - 97C " Żbik - P " and BRDM - 2M - 98 " Żbik - A " which have belly wheels removed which gives more space for the crew or space for two soldiers . This was also carried out in Morozov ' s BRDM - 2SMD . BRDM - 2 has unique flaw of its own . Because the only way in and out of the vehicle is via the front hatches , leaving the vehicle while in combat is almost impossible because the exiting crew members would instantly enter the line of fire of the enemy and its own vehicle as hatches are positioned directly in front of the turret . This shortcoming was addressed in Polish BRDM - 2M - 96 modernization and its successors , BRDM - 2M - 96i , BRDM - 2M - 96ik " Szakal " , BRDM - 2M - 96ik " Szakal Plus " , BRDM - 2M - 97 " Żbik - B " , BRDM - 2M - 97C " Żbik - P " and BRDM - 2M - 98 " Żbik - A " which have side hatches . This was also done in Czech LOT - B and OKV - P as well as Ukrainian BRDM - 2SMD . Polish BRDM - 2M - 97 " Żbik - B " , BRDM - 2M - 97C " Żbik - P " and BRDM - 2M - 98 " Żbik - A " also have hatch on the top of the turret giving the crew another way out . BRDM - 2 ' s predecessor , BRDM - 1 didn ' t have that issue as the BRDM - 1 obr . 1957 had no roof and later models had rear hatch that allow the crew to exit the vehicle from behind . The fact that the BRDM - 2 is missing such a hatch is a consequence of putting the engine in the rear unlike in BRDM - 1 where the engine is in the front . The BRDM - 2 is sometimes confused with the Hungarian D - 442 FUG and D - 944 PSzH amphibious scout cars which also have rear - mounted engines but what distinguishes them from BRDM - 2 is the fact that they have twin waterjets unlike the BRDM - 2 which has a single triangular water jet . Service history . Soviet Union and Russia . The BRDM - 2 entered service with Soviet Army in 1962 . It was first publicly shown in 1966 . It has replaced the BRDM - 1 in the Soviet and Warsaw Pact armies . The production started in 1962 and went on until 1989 with 7 , 200 vehicles produced ( mostly for export ) . The BRDM - 2 became famous for being a vehicle selected to pull Brezhnev ' s coffin during the funeral ceremony in the Red Square . Poland . Poland bought 450 BRDM - 2 armoured scout cars , 418 9P133 " Malyutka " and 9P148 " Konkurs " tank destroyers and 32 BRDM - 2RS NBC reconnaissance vehicles in 1965 . Later Poland also obtained 9P31 Surface - to - air missile launchers . In 2004 Polish Army operated 600 BRDM - 2 armoured scout cars and vehicles based on it . As of now Polish Army operates 200 BRDM - 2 " s " , 120 BRDM - 2 " s " modernized to BRDM - 2M - 96 , BRDM - 2M - 96i , BRDM - 2M - 97 " Żbik - B " and BRDM - 2M - 98 " Żbik - A " level , 12 BRDM - 2 " s " modernized to BRDM - 2M - 96ik " Szakal " level , 100 9P133 " Malyutka " and 18 9P148 " Konkurs " tank destroyers , a dozen of BRDM - 2RS NBC reconnaissance vehicles , an unknown number of 9K31 Strela - 1 self - propelled surface - to - air missile launchers as well as BRDM - 2 R - 1A and BRDM - 2 R - 5 command vehicles . Also one BRDM - 2 was modernized to BRDM - 2M - 96ik " Szakal Plus " level . All modernizations , conversions and serious repairs of Polish BRDM - 2 are done by WZM in Siemianowice Śląskie . Modernized BRDM - 2 armoured scout cars will serve with the Polish Army for at least a couple of years . The 9P133 " Malyutka " and 9P148 " Konkurs " tank destroyers which are the basic equipment of anti - tank subunits of motorized brigades , are considered obsolete and therefore are to be replaced with ATGM launchers based on lighter vehicles like the HMMWV or heavier vehicles like KTO Ryś APC or KTO Rosomak AMV . For MSPO 2002 two Polish BRDM - 2M - 96i were converted into a fire unit and command vehicle with a radar of the German Rheinmetall Defence Electronics ASRAD - R missile air defense system . The system won the " Defender " award at that year ' s event . Polish BRDM - 2M - 96ik " Szakal " was shown at the Land Combat Expo 2004 . Two BRDM - 2M - 97 " Żbik - B " armoured scout cars took part in a military parade in Kraków on 17 May 2008 . Seven BRDM - 2M - 97 " Żbik - B " armoured scout cars and six 9P148 " Konkurs " tank destroyers took part in a military parade in Warsaw on the Polish Army Day , 15 August 2008 . BRDM - 2 , BRDM - 2M - 96 and BRDM - 2M - 96i armoured cars were used by Polish units of SFOR . Polish KFOR units also use BRDM - 2M - 96 armoured scout cars and BRDM - 2RS NBC reconnaissance vehicles . Polish Forces in Iraq operated 12 BRDM - 2M - 96ik " Szakal " and 14 BRDM - 2M - 97 " Żbik - B " . 10 BRDM - 2M - 96ik were used by Polish forces of ISAF . However they are now together with 12 vehicles used in Iraq , back in Poland . Estonia . Around 10 BRDM - 2 " s " were taken over from the Soviet Army in the early 1990s . They were mostly used during infantry training for posing as the enemy armour . Also the Estonian police used a specially modified BRDM - 2 ( See the Estonia section in the Variants section ) . All BRDM - 2 " s " are now withdrawn from both the military and police service . Other operators . Like all Soviet equipment , the BRDM - 2 was also sold to many Arab and African countries . It is used by 38 armies . The BRDM - 2 enjoyed its popularity on export market by being cheap , easy to operate and reliable . These factors made the BRDM - 2 a more popular export reconnaissance vehicle than the BRM - 1K , which was much more expensive and complicated to operate . The BRDM - 2 participated in several wars . It took part in Soviet War in Afghanistan . Those vehicles as well as derelict ones restored back up to working state are now used Afghan National Army . BRDM - 2 armoured scout cars also were used during either Six - Day War ( 1967 ) , War of Attrition ( 1968 – 1970 ) or Yom Kippur War ( 1973 ) by either Egypt or Syria . During one of these conflicts Israel managed to capture a number of BRDM - 2 armoured cars and vehicles based on it ( like BRDM - 2UM command vehicle and 9P122 " Malyutka " tank destroyer ) . The BRDM - 2 has also seen service with Iraqi Army during First Persian Gulf War and 2003 invasion of Iraq . BRDM - 2 armoured scout cars were used during Ten - Day War and first operations in Croatia during Croatian War of Independence by Yugoslav People ' s Army ( JNA ) . The BRDM - 2 was also used by the Yugoslav Army ( VJ ) against the KLA during the Kosovo war . BRDM - 2 armoured scout cars are used by Polish , Ukrainian and Russian units of the Kosovo Force . Variants . Like the BRDM , the BRDM - 2 exists in several versions .