The Russian Airborne Forces (VDV) has received into the service the new battalion sets of 50 air-droppable BMD-4M infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and BTR-MDM armoured personnel carriers (APCs).

As compared to the armies of foreign countries, except for China, the Russian Airborne Force’s fighting vehicles are air mobile machines dropped by parachutes, including with crews inside them, from Ilyushin Il-76, Antonov An-12.

The BMD-4M is an amphibious infantry fighting vehicle, an updated version of the BMD-4 with a new engine and running gear, among other features.

The Rakushka armored transporter is a multirole vehicle designed especially for airborne troops.