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BRDM is an initialism for Boyevaya Razvedyvatelnaya Dozornaya Mashina, (RU Боевая Разведывательная Дозорная Машина), literally "Combat Reconnaissance Patrol Vehicle" †. The BRDM is a four wheeled amphibious vehicle vehicle which is very lightly armoured by todays standards. Both versions were produced in the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc countries. Both versions came in an ATGM variant. The BRDM-2 also came as a command vehicle and as an air defence vehicle.

It came in three versions:

BRDM-1 with 12.7mm DsHK Heavy Machine gun

The BRDM-1 (also known as the BTR-40P) first appeared in 1959, and was in production until 1966. Total production was around 10,000 vehicles, less than 600 remain in the reserves of a number of countries. It was armed with a pintle mounted heavy machinegun. The initial version of the vehicle, the Model 1957, had an open roof, but the standard production model, the Model 1958, had a roof with twin hatches.

The vehicle was used as the basis of the 2P27 anti-tank missile launcher, based around the AT-1 Snapper missile which were mounted in a retractable launcher.

Iraqi BRDM-2 at the U.S. National Infantry Museum, Fort Benning

BRDM-2 based 9K31 Strela-1 (SA-9) of Serbian Army Air Defense.

The BRDM-2 was intended to replace the earlier BRDM-1 with a vehicle that had improved amphibious capabilities and better armament. The BRDM-2 is driven by a rear-mounted gasoline engine that also supplies power to a waterjet for amphibious travel. It has a crew of four, a driver, co-driver, commander, and gunner. The armament is the same as the BTR-60 armoured personnel carrier, a 14.5 mm KPV heavy machine gun with a 7.62 mm machine gun as a secondary weapon. The armor on the vehicle protects fully against small arms fire and artillery shell splinters. This vehicle has been exported extensively and is in use in at least 45 countries.

The BRDM-2 is sometimes confused with the Hungarian FUG (OT-65) amphibious scout car and the FUG-70/PSZH APC, which have rear engines but also have twin waterjets.

The BRDM-2 ATGM launcher vehicle (sometimes referred to as the BRDM-3*) can mount the AT-2 Swatter, AT-3 Sagger, or AT-5 Spandrel. The AT-5 launcher can also fire the AT-4 Spigot missile. The STGM launcher replaces the turret. The versions equipped withe AT-2 and AT-3 had the missiles mounted in a retractable launcher while the AT-4/AT-5 launcher was a pedestal mounted on the roof of a standard BRDM-2.

• ATGM launcher vehicle "KONKURS" (BRDM-2)

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