- Yes, I think it would be nice to see this added to the game
- Maybe
- Unsure
- I don’t think we need the BRM-1K in-game
Background & History
The BRM-1K is an armored reconnaissance vehicle that was designed by and first used by the Soviet Union starting in the 1970’s, the vehicle itself was based off the BMP-1 and was produced up to at least 1988. The BRM-1K was the result of advancing technology becoming more readily available which provided the ability to perform the role of reconnaissance in a more efficient way with the likes of ground based radars and various types of sensors.
Up the point when the need for a new vehicle was recognized the requirement for such a reconnaissance vehicle the Soviet Union already had the PT-76 and BRDM-2, however the issue with these vehicles was that while they could perform the existing role in the traditional sense the fact was that neither vehicle was capable of being able to install all the newer technologies available that they wished to implement, as such work began in the late 1960’s with the Chelyabinsk Tractor Works (ChTZ) being assigned the job of designing the new vehicle which was decided to be based of the BMP-1 due to it being newer and larger allowing for greater modification which would allow it to fill the role, in the 1970’s the work on the new vehicle was reassigned to the Kurgan Engineering Works (KMZ) with the first vehicle undergoing trails in 1972 and would be accepted into service with the first production vehicles entering service in 1973.
Compared to the BMP-1 the vehicle was based off of the vehicle underwent radical changes which makes the vehicle look similar in certain ways to the later BMP-2 and in others were the same in some minor ways, the most obvious difference was the vehicles turret which was both made larger into a two manned turret and was moved more to the rear of the vehicle, other details include a reduction in the amount of firing ports, relocation of the placement of the log and with that a larger foldable antenna placed at the rear of the vehicle. The most notable feature of the BRM-1K besides the change with the turret is the PSNR-5K / 1RL133-1 “Tall mike” radar which was located at the rear of the turret which was capable of both search and track, the radar itself when not in use would be retracted back into the turret under a hatch for the radar. Internal the changes were significant as the vehicle reduced the amount of seats in the rear compartment to two spots and were converted and intended for uses for additional crew members, the commander of the vehicle was relocated to the turret and a radio operator took their place, the rear compartment also housed a position for another radio operator and a equipment operator. Due to the changes the ammunition load was reduced to 20 rounds and no anti tank guided missiles were carried. Among the already mentioned radar which was capable of both search and track the vehicle had an array of electronic equipment with navigation device, gyrocompass, mine detector, two different types chemical detection devices, a radio direction finder, laser rangefinder, and of course multiple radios.
While the BMP-1 was produced in the thousands the BRM-1K was produced much less with an estimated number of 1,200 to 1,500 produced. In service they were not intended for the more direct reconnaissance which would be now done by the BMP-1’s, these vehicles would be assigned alongside at least 3 BMP-1’s to work alongside the BRM-1K and each reconnaissance company of a motorized rifle or tank regiment would have at least 1 BRM-1K assigned to them, and 3 of them assigned to the reconnaissance battalion of a motorized rifle or tank division. The vehicle itself would be used by only the USSR itself until the 1980’s when they were exported to Poland, Czechoslovakia, and East Germany. By the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union the vehicle had yet to have a successor put into service however in the 1990’s the Russian Federation began production of the successor which had completed work on the vehicle which was called the BRM-3K Rys which was based off the BMP-3. The BRM-3K suffered however from low production numbers meaning that the Russian Federation was unable to phase out the BRM-1K, meaning that unlike the BMP-1 which was more easily phased out the BRM-1K despite its age and shortcomings at that point remained in widespread service with Russia even as further development of the BRM-3K took place.
More recently the vehicle has undergone a major modernization similar to the BMP-1 into the BMP-1AM however very few vehicles have been modernized (at least 8) and the other issue is that despite it being a blatant modernization the vehicle still goes by the name of BRM-1K despite the modernization replacing the entire turret with one based of the BTR-82 with a radar added to the turret for the reconnaissance role among other thing, the only name it has so far which differentiates it between the older vehicles is that it is at times just referred to as the upgraded BRM-1K however since that vehicle is radically different I won’t cover it further.
Specifications
Weight - 12.5 - 13.2 tons
Crew - 6
Engine model -
UTD-20
Engine type -
15.8 liter 6-cylinder 4-stroke water-cooled diesel
Power output -
300 hp at 2,600 rpm
Transmission -
Manual, 5 forward, 1 reverse
Max speed -
65 km/h on road
45 km/h off road
7 km/h in water
Power to weight ratio -
22.7 hp/t
Fire control -
1PN22M gunsight
Radios -
R-123M
R-130
R-148
Observation radar -
PSNR-5K / 1RL133-1 “Tall mike” radar
Navigation -
TNA-3 Kvadrat-1
Range finder -
DKRM-1 laser rangefinder with 8 km range
Radiological chemical reconnaissance device -
PRChR GO-27
Chemical detection device -
WPChR
Mine detector -
IMP-1
Radio direction finder -
ERRS-1 with 60 km range
Main armament - 73mm 2A28 Grom (20 Rounds) (Same ammunition as the BMP-1)
Gun elevation - +30/-4
Coaxial machine gun - 7.62mm PKT machine gun (2,000 Rounds)
Smoke grenades -
6 x 81mm 902V Tucha smoke grenade dischargers
Armor -
Hull armor
19 mm hull front
16 - 18 mm sides
16 mm rear
6 mm top
Turret armor
23 mm front
13 mm sides and rear
6 mm top
Sources
Image Sources