BRDM-1/BRDM-2

The BRDM-1 and its successor, the BRDM-2, are Soviet-designed amphibious armored reconnaissance vehicles. They are characterized by their four-wheel drive, additional belly wheels for improved cross-country mobility, and NBC protection.

Developed in the mid-1950s to replace the open-topped BTR-40, the BRDM-1 entered Soviet service in 1957 to provide reconnaissance units with an amphibious, fully enclosed scout car. Its successor, the BRDM-2, entered service in 1962, addressing the original's vulnerabilities by moving the engine to the rear and adding a small turret armed with a heavy machine gun. These vehicles became staples of Warsaw Pact forces and were heavily exported, seeing extensive combat in the Vietnam War, the Yom Kippur War, and the Soviet-Afghan War. Today, while largely replaced in modern Russian forces, the BRDM-2 remains in active service with over 50 countries and continues to undergo various localized modernization programs.