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USSR BMP in Afghanistan


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Hi All! Yeah, been stuck in frenetic real life for a bit... hoping it all calms down after Monday when I have a terrifying "minor surgical procedure" done on my back. Don't know about you - but if it is MY body they are messing with, nothing is a minor surgical procedure. dammit.

As such, I am starting to research a next styrene project. I am mostly an aircraft person, so my research skills are less than stellar with targets.... err... I mean armor. Recently, with the advice of some folks on this very site, I bought a really good movie made in Russia about their Afghanistan experience, and then also read a book by a Russian Journalist about it. I have become fascinated by the Soviet version of our Bradley (though really, it is likely 'other way round') and am probably going to buy one this weekend.

Luckily for me, one of my favorite publishers of research, Kagero Topshots, has a book on the BMP! Not as lucky for me, they actually have 2. BMP-1 & BMP-2. So to even begin researching I need to figure out which was used in Afghanistan, and so far not having the best of luck with that. Help from the wicked smart folks on ARC??

I see that Trump is about to release one... Revell already has.... anyone know about the difference of the kits, from a test shot build or anything? Maybe a model magazine that someone can direct me to an issue they reviewed either??

Also super lucky, last time we drove a bit north we saw a new critter at the Ft. Lewis Museum in their parking lot, and in what I think is their primer. It appears (at 70mph anyhow) to be a BMP!!! We have to get prior permission post-9/11 to visit the museum, and we have to go on base early in August anyhow to get cleared for hunting on their vast expanse of land, so we'll for sure get a ton of photos of it then, if not before. I will be happy to share. It is most likely a former Iraqi possession, they have quite a collection of Iraqi armor there.

Thanks in advance! by way of apology for a research question, I offer a photo of one of the things that has taken virtually all of our time lately... We call him Yuri, for Yuri Gregarin. We lost all his siblings at birth, he was the only survivor of 7.

Mona%20and%20son%2001%20smaller%20web.jpg

Mona and her son, Yuri. He's doing great now after his first few days of touch-n-go.

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OK, where to start....

The BMP is one of those AFVs which has been around in kit form forever, but which desperately needs a new molding done. For an Afghanistann BMP, the BMP 1 or 2 would be correct (depending on whether one was modeling an early or late Soviet period BMP - the "1"s proved to be pretty flammable due to the fuel tanks in the doors, and the BMP 2 tended to be used as the conflict progressed). The Trumpeter model coming out is a BMP-3 - current version of the family, and not around back in the 80s.

The Revell BMP 2 is, IIRC, a rebox of the Dragon/Zvezda BMP-2. In terms of accuracy, not as good as it should be - the most noticable issue is the upper hatches are orientated wrong. There are aftermarket correction sets for it, but to produce an accurate BMP-2 you're looking at replacement barrel, track, road wheels, and potentially upper hull and turret. Most of these sets (especially the Modelpoint 30mm barrel) are hard to find, or pricey, or both. That said, it can be assembled OOB and does look like a BMP-2 from a distance... Check out Armorama - lots of information there on what needs to be done to make an accurate BMP-2

The BMP-1 is not as bad (although again, it does have issues). I'm currently finishing one of these - I replaced the track, main gun and antenna, but didn't bother fiddling with much else.

The Kagero books are great! I have both on the BMP - the plan set that comes with the BMP-1 book has been useful.

Yuri looks content! Sorry to hear about his siblings, but glad to hear the he is doing well!

Edited by GVoakes
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All of the BMP kits also have a double bevel on the forward lower hull plate, which the real thing does not have. The drive sprockets have the wrong number of spokes as well, though this is partially hidden by the side fenders. If you do a BMP-1, the Esci kit is the way to go IMHO, unless you have to have opening hatches. The Dragon kits have oversized hinges to allow working doors. They also have empty openings for the periscopes. The Esci kits main hatches are molded shut, and the periscopes are solid molded. It has some very fine weld detail. For me though, since the BMP-1 had been seen previously in other conflicts, I associated the BMP-2 more with Afghanistan, because it was filmed so frequently, especially when they were pulling out of the country. It is a kit that really deserves to be updated with modern tooling. Pretty much any boxing other than Esci/ERTL kit is going to be the original Dragon kit in someone elses box.

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  • 2 weeks later...
All of the BMP kits also have a double bevel on the forward lower hull plate, which the real thing does not have. The drive sprockets have the wrong number of spokes as well, though this is partially hidden by the side fenders. If you do a BMP-1, the Esci kit is the way to go IMHO, unless you have to have opening hatches. The Dragon kits have oversized hinges to allow working doors. They also have empty openings for the periscopes. The Esci kits main hatches are molded shut, and the periscopes are solid molded. It has some very fine weld detail. For me though, since the BMP-1 had been seen previously in other conflicts, I associated the BMP-2 more with Afghanistan, because it was filmed so frequently, especially when they were pulling out of the country. It is a kit that really deserves to be updated with modern tooling. Pretty much any boxing other than Esci/ERTL kit is going to be the original Dragon kit in someone elses box.

Hi Guys

I am looking for color scheme for BMP (ESCI) Russian markings in Afghanistan with either overall grey/green or better still camo pattern. Can you advise on paints used by the Russians during the 70-80's conflict?

Any help will be much appreciated.

Giora

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  • 2 years later...

Hi Guys

I am looking for color scheme for BMP (ESCI) Russian markings in Afghanistan with either overall grey/green or better still camo pattern. Can you advise on paints used by the Russians during the 70-80's conflict?

Any help will be much appreciated.

Giora

Hi, most of the Soviet armor (and ground vehicles generally) in Aphganistan was painted 4BO. No camo was applied widely and if used it would have been a field applied job. Still some examples could be found - for example here - http://otvaga2004.narod.ru/otvaga2004/wars0/page/1_afghan_3.htm you can see camo-ed BMP-1D and BMP-2D. If you click on page four at the bottom of the page you can see a color picture of BMP-2D in camo.

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Hi, most of the Soviet armor (and ground vehicles generally) in Aphganistan was painted 4BO. No camo was applied widely and if used it would have been a field applied job. Still some examples could be found - for example here - http://otvaga2004.narod.ru/otvaga2004/wars0/page/1_afghan_3.htm you can see camo-ed BMP-1D and BMP-2D. If you click on page four at the bottom of the page you can see a color picture of BMP-2D in camo.

Not sure I totally agree. I've got an old Concord book "Armor of the Afghanistan War" by Zaloga and the majority of the pics of BMP's and BTR's show them to be in 4BO, over-sprayed with grey-ish tan camo. Granted these are mostly later vehicles. Initially, it does seem that pretty much everything was green.

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Not sure I totally agree. I've got an old Concord book "Armor of the Afghanistan War" by Zaloga and the majority of the pics of BMP's and BTR's show them to be in 4BO, over-sprayed with grey-ish tan camo. Granted these are mostly later vehicles. Initially, it does seem that pretty much everything was green.

Well, I was in the army around that time and do remember that all the camo on all vehicles was field applied and depended fully upon lower unit commanders. In fact, this practice was normal of SA and given consideration, makes perfect sense and is more preferable than factory applied stuff. The factory finish was uniformly green. The fancy three colour schemes are attributed to a post 1987 period and possibly those were field applied, although I have my doubts.

It is safe to presume that the same practice was used in Aphganistan as camo on armour in Afghanistan still rather sporadic (you cannot see much of it on BTRs or tanks and many BMPs in the end of the war did not have it still).

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