Russia develops air–droppable air defence missile system
Moscow, May 4: Russia has started developing an air–droppable air
defence missile system for its airborne forces, which is believed to be
the world’s first system of its kind, sources said on Wednesday.
The system, code–med Ptitselov (Fowler), will be based on the
BMD–4M Sadovnitsa (Lady Gardener) airborne armored assault vehicle, a
source of the Russian defense ministry was quoted as saying. The tracked
BMD–4M Sadovnitsa vehicle is fitted with the Bakhcha–U (Gourd Field)
turret, comprising a 100–mm and a 30–mm caliber gun as well as a 7.62–mm
machine gun, Xinhua news agency reported.
The vehicle, commissioned in 2015, is meant to be used during raids
behind the enemy’s lines and is capable of reaching a speed of 70 km per
hour.
Currently, the main anti–aircraft battlefield assets of the Russian
Airborne Forces are various modifications of the Strela–10 (Arrow–10)
missile system, whose basic model was put into service in 1976. (IANS)