The BRDM-2 (also GAZ-41 and “BRDM” for Boyevaya Razvedyvatelnaya Dozornaya Mashina, “combat reconnaissance and patrol vehicle”) is a Soviet amphibious armoured scout car with a rear-mounted V8 engine, built at the Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ) from 1963 and later at Arzamas. It replaced the BRDM-1 and was exported to dozens of countries. This page gives the key figures, the history, the variants and answers to common questions.
BRDM-2 at a glance
| Type | amphibious armoured scout car, 4×4 with retractable belly wheels |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ), then Arzamas Machine-Building Plant from 1982 |
| Production years | 1963–1989 (Russian Wikipedia); 1962–1989 (English Wikipedia) |
| Units built | about 7,200, mostly for export (English Wikipedia) |
| Engine | GAZ-41 gasoline V8, 5.5 L |
| Power | 140 hp |
| Transmission | manual, 4 forward gears and 1 reverse |
| Tyres | 12.00–18 with central tyre pressure regulation |
| Crew | 4 (driver, co-driver, commander, gunner) |
| Armament | BPU-1 turret with a 14.5 mm KPVT and a coaxial 7.62 mm PKT machine gun |
The sources disagree on the start of production (1962 or 1963). Russian Wikipedia says serial production at GAZ ran until 1982 and continued at Arzamas until 1989.
History of the BRDM-2
After a few years of service the BRDM-1 showed its limits: it had no turret, no NBC protection and no night vision. English Wikipedia lists these drawbacks as the reason for a new vehicle. According to Russian Wikipedia, work was linked to a new 4-litre V8 of the ZMZ-53 family developed for the GAZ-66 truck, and the first prototype was tested in 1960 with the running gear of the BRDM-1. The BRDM-2 entered service in the Soviet Army in 1962 or 1963 according to the sources and was first shown to the public in 1966.
Production passed from GAZ to the Arzamas Machine-Building Plant in 1982. Poland and Czechoslovakia also built the vehicle under licence. English Wikipedia says that the BRDM-2 is or was used by at least 38 countries.
Design and features
- Layout: the driver and commander sit at the front, the fighting compartment is in the middle and the engine is at the rear, behind an armoured barrier.
- Chassis: English Wikipedia says it is derived from the BTR-40, which in turn was based on the GAZ-63 chassis. The engine comes from the same family as the V8 of the GAZ-13 Chaika and the GAZ-53 truck.
- Amphibious: the vehicle swims, driven by a single water jet at the rear that is covered by an armoured shutter on land.
- Off-road aids: two pairs of chain-driven belly wheels are lowered by the driver to cross trenches, and the central tyre pressure system works on the move.
- Armour: Russian Wikipedia rates the hull as NATO class 1 on the sides and class 2 at the front.
- Known flaws: English Wikipedia names poor ergonomics, weak crew protection and high fuel consumption, and notes that the crew can leave only through the front hatches.
BRDM-2 variants and upgrades
- BRDM-2 (GAZ-41-06): the base model, built from 1964.
- BRDM-2 “Lisa” (GAZ-41-10): built from 1967 with automatic NBC protection and extra night-vision devices.
- BRDM-2A: a Russian upgrade from Arzamas with running gear shared with the BTR-80 and a turbodiesel.
- BRDM-2M: a Russian upgrade by Muromteplovoz with a D-245.30E2 diesel and no belly wheels.
- BRDM-2M-96: a Polish modernisation (English Wikipedia).
- Ukrainian and Belarusian upgrades: for example the BRDM-2LD with side hatches and a diesel, and the BRDM-2MB1 with the water jets removed.
More Soviet vehicles from Gorky are in our GAZ collection, for example the GAZ 66 truck, the GAZ 63 and the GAZ BTR armoured personnel carriers.
BRDM-2 questions and answers
What does BRDM stand for?
Boyevaya Razvedyvatelnaya Dozornaya Mashina, Russian for “combat reconnaissance and patrol vehicle”.
Who built the BRDM-2?
The Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ) built it from 1963 to 1982, and the Arzamas Machine-Building Plant from 1982 to 1989, according to Russian Wikipedia.
What engine does the BRDM-2 have?
A 5.5-litre GAZ-41 petrol V8 of 140 hp, related to the engines of the GAZ-53 truck and the GAZ-13 Chaika.
Can the BRDM-2 swim?
Yes. It is amphibious and uses a rear water jet in the water.
How many BRDM-2 were built?
English Wikipedia gives about 7,200, mostly for export.
What is GAZ-41?
GAZ-41 is the factory designation of the BRDM-2 and also the name of its engine.
Sources
- БРДМ-2, Russian Wikipedia: production, engine, armour, variants
- BRDM-2, English Wikipedia: history, construction, production figures
