BMD

Just a BMD with VDV troops chillin

The BMDs were a series of Soviet Airborne IFVs, something which to this day is a relatively unique concept. As such, they don't really have a counterpart in the armies of NATO.

In Team Yankee

BMD-1

The lighter, airborne brother of the BMP-1, the BMD-1 somehow manages to fit the exact same turret with the exact same weapon systems as its heavier brother in the regular army. This means that it fills a very similar role, and its primary differences are in training and organization. The BMD comes in smaller unit sizes than its heavier brother, as BMD companies don't come with PKMs by default and rely on the more spacious BTR-D when they are taken. This doesn't mean that you can't bring a sizeable number of these though: the basic company still goes up to 10 BMD-1s, a solid hunk of gopnik steel.

BMD formations are part of the VDV and thus represent better skilled, more motivated troops. This means your BMDs and their riders get the coveted skill 4+, a rare commodity in the Soviet arsenal. This lets you perform movement orders more reliably, which gives you more options to use your missiles, as well as letting you range in the 2 arty in the Soviet arsenal with a 4+ skill on a 4+. Really the ability to more reliably perform movement orders is the big change here.

The Afghansty VDV platoon also makes use of the BMD-1. Everything above still applies, only more so. The Afghansty VDV come in companies made up of platoons with but a paltry 3 IFVs each. However, they are relatively inexpensive for their stats, and they have an even better 3+ skill, letting them use movement orders even more reliably.

For the BMD-1 itself? It's a pretty solid little tonk. Its real strength is the large amount of good firepower shots that it can bring for the points, with both an AT19 missile and an AT12 low velocity 73mm cannon. Both of these are HEAT, meaning this thing is particularly vulnerable to special rules that boost side armor to HEAT weapons, particularly Chobham or ERA. Against vehicles with light or even medium armor, however, your weaponry is relatively capable, instantly penetrating most APCs, IFVs, and other support vehicles while killing on a 3+. Your missile won't hurt the Abrams or other 3rd gen MBTs, but it'll kill the shit out of 2nd gen MBTs. Consider bringing some form of heavy AT to back these things up.

The armor and mobility are meh at best. You will not be saving from anything with a half decent AT rating, and with a 3+ to hit (4+ for Afghansty VDV!) expect to lose a lot of dudes if your opponent so pleases. This isn't helped by your poor 4+ cross check, which limits your ability to use woods and fences to the fullest. Try to stick to ridgelines or conveniently placed vehicle wrecks for cover. Use your movement orders to help mitigate casualties by 'shoot and scoot'ing out of the line of fire or blitzing to get the first shot. As a consolation prize, you get among the highest tracked dash speeds in the game, a blistering 36" on road, if you'll ever need it.

A Ukrainian BMD-2 on parade. 1986 colorized.

BMD-2

The BMD-2 was a stopgap solution, incorporating the weaponry of the BMP-2 on a modified BMD-1 turret while the BMD-3, incorporating the full BMP-2 turret, was still under development. This is reflected in the capabilities of the BMD-2, which shares the same armor, mobility, structure, and skill of its older counterpart and only giving it the firepower of the BMP-2, its ground based cousin. Because I'm both lazy and an asshole, I'll let you read up on the BMD-1 to get an idea of this things mobility and survivability. We'll talk firepower.

In place of the 73mm low velocity cannon and Malyutka ATGM, the BMD-2 mounts the versatile 30mm 2A42 autocannon and hard-hitting Konkurs ATGM. Where the BMD-1 was a weapon of terror, meant to intimidate, this is a weapon of war, meant to kill. The cannon sacrifices firepower for a higher rate of fire and the ability to ignore specialized anti-HEAT armor, as well as range. The missile is simply better in every way, with its AT of 21 now being a credible threat to all but the latest of MBTs and a shorter minimum range for those pesky closer range ambushes. These things benefit even more from using movement orders thanks to their superior missile and lower moving RoF. A company of them in overwatch will leave most enemy tanks cautious of being too bold with those ATGMs and will give lighter vehicles pause with their high-penetration autocannons. Consider putting them in ambush to take advantage of their alpha-strike potential to lay waste to large amounts of NATO armor in a short period of time.

In Real Life

Like many things in the Soviet Military, the BMD is a product of the Soviet's geopolitical location. Unlike the US which has to deal with two oceans, the Soviets have enemies right next door in the form of Western Europe and China. On one hand this means the Soviets had to prepare for any attack from their neighbors. On the other hand, this cuts down the distances required to use paratroopers. But Paratroopers are somewhat squishy, and it would be nice if those elite units could have a BMP like vehicle for transport and fighting. A vehicle that is light weight and easy to transport that can bring similar firepower as the BMP. This is where the BMD comes in. The BMD was created as a response to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Remember, outside of their submarines, the Soviets didn't exactly invest much in their Navy. If pushed into a naval invasion, the Soviet navy would have to contend with the issue of blockades. But airplanes don't have that problem, and airplanes have more uses then just naval invasions. Think of it like this. The BMD is similar in thought to the AAVP7. Both are armored transports meant to fight alongside their cargo. The difference is what the US and Soviets have to deal with to deploy said vehicles in an invasion. The AAVP7 has to deal with the issue of oceans, while the BMD has to content with the issues of neighbors. (You can also think of it like this. US likes to emphasize their Marines, while the Soviets/Russians like their VDV) Equipment wise, the BMD is pretty much a BMP. Its shorter and got less armor, but for all intensive purposes this thing is just a paratrooper BMP. If you are ever confused, just look at the last letter. D stands for Desenta or airborne. Or droppable. Fun little thing about this vehicle, it can be para-dropped with the crew inside. Granted this involves using a rocket to slow down the descent. And no it can't be used an impromptu drop pod. But on the other hand, that does mean once this thing hits the group, it doesn't have to wait for its crew to find it.