Special Report: Russia offers upgraded BMP-3 to Asia-Pacific countries

The upgraded BMP-3 IFV is seen displayed at VIDEX 2024 in Hanoi, Vietnam. (Rosoboronexport)

Russia is offering its upgraded BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), manufactured by High Precision Systems, a subsidiary of state-owned defence group Rostec, to export customers in the Asia-Pacific region.

A spokesperson for Russiaʼs state-owned defence export agency Rosoboronexport, which is also a Rostec subsidiary, has recently told Janes that the upgraded vehicle and new variants in the BMP-3 family are aimed at supporting regional efforts to modernise armoured vehicle fleets.

According to the spokesperson, the baseline BMP-3 IFV has undergone several enhancements, including the integration of a firmware suite enabling the vehicleʼs autonomous operation. The spokesperson said the BMP-3 was modified after “taking into account [the] experience of combat usage”. The upgraded vehicle was first displayed at the Vietnam International Defence Expo (VIDEX) 2024, held in Hanoi in December.

In the Asia-Pacific, the BMP-3 IFV is already operated by Indonesia and South Korea, while Vietnam operates a combined fleet of several hundred BMP-1 and BMP-2 IFVs that were acquired from the late 1970s. Cambodia also operates older BMP-1 versions.

According to Janes World Navies, the Indonesian Marine Corps operates 54 BMP-3F IFVs, the amphibious variant of the BMP-3, which were procured from Russia in two batches in 2008 and 2012. The service also operates 54 Russian BT-3F amphibious armoured personnel carriers (APCs), a type which is based on the baseline BMP-3. The Republic of Korea Army has operated 70 BMP-3 IFVs since 1996.