Tag: BMP-1

Dismounted 2A28s as Improvised Support Guns

The 2A28 Grom is the main armament of the BMP-1 and BMD-1 infantry fighting vehicles, it is essentially a 73mm low-pressure gun which fires a variety rounds ranging from HEAT to HE-Frag. Developed in the early 1960s it has been in Russian service ever since.

While it is the same calibre as its tripod-mounted cousin the SPG-9 it is designed to fire rounds with less propellant charge. In the last six months there have been a series of sightings of Russian troops testing 2A28s which have been dismounted from vehicles and mounted on craft-made or repurposed carriages for use as infantry support guns.

A 2A28 on what appears to be a 2B9 carriage (via social media)

The first of these I’ve been able to find appeared on 27 May, this example was seen in a short video being test fired. The gun itself appears to have been mounted on a carriage similar to that used by the 2B9 Vasilek automatic mortar, though there are some differences in the trails. The crew of a gunner and loader are able to get of 10 rounds in 40 seconds with the gunner adjusting his aim several times. In the background there appears to be a team training with a conventional SPG-9. It could be argued that the wheeled carriage offers and advantage over the SPG-9 which has to be deployed on foot by its crew. The dismounted 2A28s could be seen as DIY analogues of the old Swedish PV-1110s which have seen limited service with the Ukrainians.

A 2A28 mounted on a commercial trailer which is removed when setting up to fire (via social media)

Several months later on the 1 July, another dismounted 2A28 appeared. The first of two videos showed the gun being towed into position by a tractor. The 2.37 minute-long video shows the crew bringing the gun into action: uncoupling it from the tractor, fitting the trails and front support. The carriage itself has been fabricated using a commercial trailer which is removed from a frame once the trials and supports have been fitted. The frame is built around a ring for the BMP-1’s original turret ring to sit on. This appears to allow rotation using the turret ring. The BMP-1’s turret has been cutaway to enable the gunner to access the breech. A couple of photographs of the salvaged turret being adapted were also shared with the videos. It takes the crew approximately 1 minute 40 seconds to bring the gun into action, the design is quite ingenious if unwieldy. The video concludes with the gunner refusing a lanyard and firing the gun personally.

The second shorter video shows a gunner operating the gun alone loading and firing another four rounds in 17 seconds. The gun jumps and moves back significantly despite the carriage’s trails having spades to reduce recoil movement. Some sources claim the unit is part of the 25th Combined Arms Army, the Russian combatant filming the video mentions the ‘3rd Battalion’ but does not mention a regiment or brigade.

On the 26 July, a short video of a pair of 2A28s mounted on well built craft-made carriages, which appear to share a common design, was shared. While the design of the carriage appears to be the same they have different sized tyres.

Another well made dismounted gun based on a 2B9 carriage (via social media)

Most recently, on 6 September, a Russian engineer shared a couple of photos of a carriage-mounted 2A28 he came across at a unit near the front. The carriage again appears to be from a 2B9 Vasilek mortar. The 2A28’s trunion appears to be mounted directly on to the carriage.

The idea of re-purposing the 2A28 isn’t a new one with the guns seen dismounted around the world with examples from past and current conflicts in Libya, Syria and Africa. According to open source figures from Oryx an estimated 824 Russian BMP-1s had been damaged or destroyed. These knocked out BMP-1s and others which have broken down in the field are likely the source of the 2A28s in use in the craft-made support guns.

The rarity with which these DIY support guns have appeared on social media suggests that they may not be an entirely practical weapon system though their existence points to a perceived need for infantry support guns in the field. The 2A28’s effective battlefield range is likely around 500 yards, but given the guns are now unstably mounted on ad-hoc carriages, rather than a 13 tonne BMP-1 they suffer from greater recoil which may be a detriment to their effectiveness.

A pair of dismounted 2A28s testing at a range (via social media)

If the guns are to be used to harass, suppress or saturate a target at medium ranges they may be more effective but the Ukrainian battlefield is not an ideal space for an exposed crew to be manning a 2A28. With large stretches of open ground dominated by artillery and drones the dismounted 2A28s are likely to be of little value, even if crews attempted to tow them into optimal range. The dismounted 2A28, however, might prove more effective in the urban battlespace where support guns are valuable for dislodging enemy defenders from positions. Given I’ve not been able to find any verified footage of the guns in use in combat so far it is difficult to objectively gauge their effectiveness without speculation.

Update – 17/2/25:

Update – 7/10/25:

A Russian ad hoc technical with a 73mm 2A28 cannon mounted on what appears to be a chopped Moskvich 412. Date and location of the video is unconfirmed.

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Supercut: Ukrainian Farmers Stealing Russian Tanks

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February large quantities of vehicles and equipment have been captured or destroyed on both sides. Fighting a war in the social media age means we have an unprecedented amount of first hand footage and of course from this memes are going to evolve. Almost as soon as the war began videos of Ukrainian farmers towing Russian vehicles began to be shared on telegram, tiktok and instagram. Often salvaging abandoned equipment the videos soon made unlikely heroes of Ukraine’s farmers. So much so they’ve been commemorated not just by Saint Javelin merchandise but also an official stamp from the Ukrainian post office.

I’ve collected quite a few videos of the farmers in action over the last few months and Rob Lee over on twitter has been keeping a running thread too. So here’s a supercut of videos showing Ukrainian farmers towing away everything from trucks to Grad launchers to T-80 tanks!

Support Us: If you enjoyed this video and article please consider supporting our work here. We have some great perks available for Patreon Supporters – including early access to custom stickers and early access to videos! Thank you for your support!

Bibliography:

Famous for towing captured Russian tanks, Ukrainian farmers step up for war effort, CBC News, (source)

Winning design in Ukraine’s second design contest features tractor and tank, Linn’s Stamp News, (source)

Ukraine Celebrates Its Tank-Towing Farmers, VOA, (source)

Cold War British Army Threat Recognition Guide

It’s the 1980s and the British Army Of the Rhine is still stationed in West Germany facing down the USSR’s forces. The Cold War has gotten hot and the 3rd Shock Army is approaching your dugout but how do you differentiate a BTR from a BMP? This handy British Army THREAT Recognition Guide booklet gives you everything you need to know about the Soviet armour, infantry and aircraft you’re facing!

Continuing on from our earlier look at a British Army threat Recognition Guide to Iraqi Ground Forces issued during the Gulf War, we dig into the TAB reference collection again and take a look at this Threat Recognition Guide looking at Soviet air and ground forces facing the British Army of the Rhine in the 1980s.

The Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG) in East Germany throughout the Cold War were an ever present threat to West Germany and NATO. This recognition guide covers all of the USSR’s main battle tanks, armoured personnel carriers, and infantry fighting vehicles, as well as artillery systems and some of the close support aircraft which would have accompanied the attacking Soviet forces.

The pages of the recognition guide include photographs, diagrams, basic specs and recognisable features of the various enemy vehicles. It was put together by the Intelligence Directorate of BAOR’s 1 Corps.

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