BRDM-2
The "Boyevaya Razvedyvatelnaya Dozornaya Mashina-2" or "BRDM-2" for short, is a Soviet-made amphibious scout car. A good example of Soviet design doctrine: equipment designed for a specific purpose that it accomplishes well, but nothing more; it was an improvement over it's predecessor the "BRDM-1". The "BRDM-2" was fully sealed to allow it to operate in NBC environments, came with a sealed turret, and had more options for electronic equipment to allow it to do it's job better. While it could technically be operated by only 1 person at the wheel (or two if the gun is needed), it's combat crew consisted of 4 people: driver, assistant driver (read: radio operator), gunner and tank commander to coordinate the whole; just like in a tank.
In Team Yankee
The BRDM-2 is a passive recon unit open to all PACT forces with one job: expand your deployment area and bail out immediately afterwards.
At a piddly 1-2 points for 2-4 BRDMs, you get a scout car that has a measly frontal armour of 1, armed with a 14.5 MG. The lack of armament and small unit size means that this is an easy kill point for your opponent, especially without the scout special rule. It does have AT5 which can cut through artillery pieces, but using them on the offensive is very situational.
Depending on your playstyle, you may prefer BMP recce if you want all your units to have the chance of making their points back or contributing to the battle as it goes on. If you simply need recon as cheaply as possible, the BRDM-2 is unit for you. Note that you may not take both: a battalion has a single recon platoon slot and you can either get a BRDM or BMP-1 Recon platoon (or BMP-2 if you are playing the Soviets.)
As utility units, you are buying these for their special rules and NOT the weapons they bring to the table. Keep them out of sight and get the hell out of there as soon as possible.
IRL
Weighing in only at 7 tons, the BRDM-2's V8 engine was capable of propelling it to speeds 100km/h on solid land (and 10km/h when wading through water), easily allowing it to traverse the terrain with ease to monitor enemy positions and movement. However, as it's main shtick was speed, rather than combat, it's armour is woefully lacking and the only weapons it had were a 14.5mm heavy machine-gun and co-axial 7.62mm medium machine gun, so at best it was only reliably capable of engaging other scout vehicles or infantry (who were not lucky enough to bring anti-armour weapons, at least. Although even then, grenades and AP rounds loaded in their rifles could still potentially wreck a BRDM if shot in it's weaker sides). That said, it was fast enough that what it couldn't out-gun it could out-run instead; and it was exactly what it was supposed to do in case it came under fire: leg it and report the enemy's position to the rest of the Soviet forces!
On a sidenote: despite being introduced in 1962, the BRDM-2 is still going strong today, almost sixty years later. Some countries still use the modernised version as scout cars, others have used the sturdy and proven base to create lightweight ATGM carriers and/or point-defense AA vehicles.
| Soviet Forces in Team Yankee | |
|---|---|
| Tanks: | T55AM2 - T-62M - T-64 - T-72 - T-80 - T-72B - T-64BV |
| Transports: | BTR-60 - BMP-1 - BMP-2 - BMP-3 -BMD-1 - BMD-2 - BTR-D |
| Troops: | Motor Rifle Company - Hind Assault Landing Company - Afghansty Air Assault Company - BMP Shock Motor Rifle Company - BMD Air Assault Company - Afghansty BMD Air Assault Platoon |
| Artillery: | 2S1 Carnation - 2S3 Acacia - BM-21 Hail - TOS-1 Buratino - BM-27 Uragan - 2S9 Nona - BM-37 82mm mortar platoon |
| Anti-Aircraft: | ZSU 23-4 Shilka - SA-13 Gopher - SA-9 Gaskin - SA-8 Gecko - 2S6 Tunguska - BTR-ZD |
| Tank Hunters: | Spandrel - Storm - BTR-RD - ASU-85 |
| Recon: | BMP-1 OP - BRDM-2 |
| Aircraft: | SU-22 Fitter - SU-25 Frogfoot - MI-24 Hind |
| East German Forces in Team Yankee | |
|---|---|
| Tanks: | T-55 - T55AM2 - T-72M - T-72B |
| Transports: | BTR-60 - BMP-1 - BMP-2 |
| Troops: | Mot-Schützen Kompanie - Hind Assault Landing Company |
| Artillery: | 2S1 Carnation - BM-21 Hail - RM-70 - 2S3 Acacia |
| Anti-Aircraft: | ZSU 23-4 Shilka - SA-13 Gopher - SA9 Gaskin - SA-8 Gecko |
| Tank Hunters: | Spandrel |
| Recon: | BMP-1 OP - BRDM-2 |
| Aircraft: | MI-24 Hind - SU-22 Fitter |
| Soviet Support: | SU-25 Frogfoot |
| Polish Forces in Team Yankee | |
|---|---|
| Tanks: | T-55 - T55AM2 - T-72M - T-72B |
| Transports: | SKOT-2A - BMP-1 - BMP-2 |
| Troops: | Zmotory Kompania - Hind Assault Landing Company |
| Artillery: | Dana SpGH - BM-21 Hail |
| Anti-Aircraft: | ZSU 23-4 Shilka - SA-13 Gopher -SA-8 Gecko |
| Tank Hunters: | Spandrel |
| Recon: | BMP-1 OP - BRDM-2 |
| Aircraft: | MI-24 Hind - SU-22 Fitter |
| Soviet Support: | SU-25 Frogfoot |
| Czech Forces in Team Yankee | |
|---|---|
| Tanks: | T-55 - T55AM2 - T-72M - T-72B |
| Transports: | OT-64 - BMP-1 - BMP-2 |
| Troops: | Motostrelci |
| Artillery: | 2S1 Carnation - Dana SpGH - RM-70 |
| Anti-Aircraft: | ZSU 23-4 Shilka - SA-8 Gecko - SA9 Gaskin - SA-13 Gopher - M53/59 Praga |
| Tank Hunters: | Spandrel |
| Recon: | BMP-1 OP - BRDM-2 |
| Aircraft: | MI-24 Hind - SU-25 Frogfoot - SU-22 Fitter |
| Iraqi Forces in Team Yankee | |
|---|---|
| Tanks: | T-55 - T-62 - T-72M |
| Transports: | BTR-60 - OT-64 - AMX-10P - BMP-1 |
| Troops: | Motor Rifle Company |
| Artillery: | 2S1 Carnation - 2S3 Acacia - AMX Auf1 - BM-21 Hail |
| Anti-Aircraft: | ZSU 23-4 Shilka - SA-13 Gopher - SA9 Gaskin - SA-8 Gecko - Roland AA |
| Tank Hunters: | Spandrel - VCR/TH |
| Recon: | BRDM-2 - BTR-60 OP |
| Aircraft: | MI-24 Hind - Gazelle HOT |
| US Support: | A-10 Warthog - AV-8 Harrier |