Soviet Airborne

I did these units for last years Arctic Strike game, since then they have yet to see the light of day. While I was reorganising my Soviets I thought I would take some pictures. All the models are Heroics and Ross.

 The CO unit consists of a BMD+30mm(SM20) and a BTRD(SM21), the AA unit is a ZPU23+crew(SM48) and the figures are from the Soviet Airborne Troops(M7).The anti aircraft units in the background are ZPU23s mounted on BTRDs.

Co and air defence units

The Soviets realised that airborne forces are vulnerable to counter attack by enemy forces and often lack the mobility to move far from their landing points .To give their airborne forces the mobility and improved fire they needed the BMD series of air deployable vehicles were developed. The first of these was the BMD1(SM19), listed as "BMD Paratroop" in the H&R lists.

CO and BMD1 battalion

CO and BMD1 coy

In the 1980s the BMD2 was introduced(SM20). This is listed as "DMD+30mm" in the H&R lists.

CO and BMD2 battalion

CO and BMD2 coy

Also used to provide limited fire power to the airborne was the ASU85(SM27)

ASU85

 Additional anti tank capability was provided by BRDM3s with Spandrel AT5 atgw(SM25) but these were replaced by a modified BTRD the BTR-RD(Robot) which carries the AT5 Spandrel on a single firing post. These are a simple conversion done a while back.

BTR-RD and HQ

BTR-RD and HQ unit