The BMD-4 is a Russian airborne infantry fighting vehicle developed after the collapse of the Soviet Union as a new entrant in the long-running BMD series. It uses the hull of the BMD-3, a limited production vehicle with a new chassis superior to the vintage BMD-1 chassis, and a new Bakcha-U turret with the same 100 mm + 30 mm cannon armament used by the full-size BMP-3 IFV, giving it an exceptionally heavy armament for its weight and role. Accepted into Russian service in 2004, BMD-4 production was stopped after a short initial production run due to economic difficulties. Years later, the streamlined BMD-4M with increased BMP-3 part commonality reentered production and service.
The BMD-4 was introduced during Update "Red Skies" as a reward for the 2021 Summer Landing event. In a simple comparison to its non-airborne relative with the same guns, the BMP-3, the BMD-4 has less armour, higher mobility, and a faster ATGM reload. It is extremely speedy in both forward and reverse and can easily make it to lucrative flank or overwatch positions, splashing multiple targets with its tandem ATGMs or hosing them down with its autocannon, but suffers from incredibly light protection: while the BMP-3 can often shrug off autocannon fire from the front, the BMD-4's front armour is not even proof to heavy machine guns. As such, it's best reserved for fearsome ambush attacks against unaware or distracted enemies.