The Kalashnikov company unveiled the characteristics of a new-generation reactive armor for BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle designed by the Steel Institute. For the protection of light armour and tanks’ side armour, NII Stali has developed the EDZ 4S24 add-on armour dynamic protection system. The 4S24 element contains half the amount of explosives of the first-generation 4S20 dynamic protection element, which minimizes the impact of an explosion on the protected armour and its surroundings.
The BMP-3 is a Soviet and Russian infantry fighting vehicle, successor to the BMP-1 and BMP-2. The abbreviation BMP stands for boevaya mashina pehoty (literally “infantry combat vehicle”). The BMP-3 is one of the most heavily armed infantry combat vehicles in service. The original version has a turret fitted with a low-velocity 2A70 100mm rifled gun which can fire conventional shells or 9M117 Bastion ATGMs (AT-10 Stabber). It carries 40 100mm-rounds and 8 ATGMs. A 2A72 30mm dual feed autocannon with 500 (300 HEI and 200 APT) rounds and a rate of fire of 350 to 400 RPM and a 7.62mm PKT machine gun with 2,000 rounds are mounted coaxially in the turret.
The system is based on a new element of dynamic protection, EDZ 4S24, which is the latest in the line of dynamic protection elements developed by NII Stali – 4S20, 4S22, 4S23. It increases the protection of thin armor against monobloc cumulative shells, grenades, armor-piercing bullets B-32, 23 mm armor-piercing incendiary tracers, and 30 mm armor-piercing projectiles. The armor covers 62 percent of BMP-3 hull, 36 percent of the front and 70 percent of the turret. The protection operates at temperatures of minus 50 to plus 55 degrees.
The hull and turret are made of a high-strength aluminum alloy, with the front of the hull being provided with an extra steel plate welded over it plus spaced armor from the trim vane. The turret is also provided with a thick steel spaced armour shield over its frontal arc. Over the frontal arc, the vehicle is protected against 30 mm gun rounds at a range of 200 m. In addition to “hard” protection, the BMP-3’s self-sealing fuel tank is located in front of the driver, directly behind the front armour plating. It is specially constructed to act as armour, effective against shaped charge warheads as well as any auto-cannon shells that managed to go through the front armour.
