Why Russia’s BMP3 Infantry Fighting Vehicle is the best option for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Any avenue of approach in a war zone is a kill zone, be it an urban pave-ways or rural settings. The AFP have been sustaining unusually high casualties, resultant of inadequate armor and fire support. Individual infantry men were fully exposed while in marches on unfamiliar terrain towards the insurgent’s lair. Military vehicles have to traverse enemy territories without the security of protective armor (metal plates, chopped tree-trunks mounted on side of vehicles, sand bags, etc.).  Corollary, essential intelligence can easily be obtained in advance through aerial reconnaissance even before convoys proceed towards its destination. While the latter can be provided by available and inexpensive technology like drones, its utilization had remained an exception rather than the rule. Insurgent’s stationery bunkers/ fortifications greatly offset the AFP’s numerical advantage, that otherwise can easily be eliminated by an explosive blast. Sniper behind hard cover, like the inside of buildings and concrete structures could pin down an entire company of marines, thereby wrestling away from them the favorable element of swiftness. The Zamboanga siege experience, and now the Marawi siege should provide enough lessons for resource materials into updating pertinent military doctrine towards relevance and effective implementation. Nonetheless, and such may have been the case, the new doctrine can be executed fully, only if a corresponding essential equipment is available. Thus, the AFP cannot ignore the necessity of an all purpose Infantry Fighting Vehicle that can manage all kinds of threat in the troop’s environment and area of operation.

And here comes the Russian BMP3 Infantry Fighting Vehicle. The BMP3 IFV is the most heavily armed IFV in the world.

It can engage in offensive and defensive operation day and night, both on land and in water, either in conventional or unconventional modes of warfare. It carries a 100mm cannon that can provide high precision direct fire with high explosive rounds, making it a medium tank. In tandem is the 30mm auto cannon that can pulverize concretes, hard cover and armored vehicles. It has three 7.62 machine guns. It can fire missile (ATGM) up to seven kilometers using the same 100mm barrel to decimate enemy armors and battle tanks, qualifying it as a part time MBT with the weight of an IFV. It can carry a squad of troops for insertion into enemy defensive positions. Since it is amphibious, it can cross all types of water-lanes and tributaries, with BMP3M having the longest, at 7 hours floating time. The combined characteristics and capabilities of the BMP3 and its variants made up a very suitable military vehicle and weapons system for the archipelagic warriors.

BMP3 IFV technical advantage is detailed here;

Specifications

Armament One 100 mm gun, one 30 mm gun, three 7.62 mm machine guns Designer - Manufacturer Kurganmashzavod Country users Greece, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Kuwait, Cyprus, Russia, Sri Lanka, Venezuela, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Crew 3 + 7 soldiers  Accessories Fire control system, night vision, NBC protection system Armor Welded aluminum alloy, protection against small arms caliber and shell splinters. Weight 18,700 kg Speed 70 km/h on road, 10 km/h on water a  a Range 600 km Dimensions (overall) Length, 7,14 m; Width, 3,23 m; Height, 2,65 m a

It is an armored personnel carrier, an infantry fighting vehicle, an amphibious assault vehicle and a tank rolled into one. More importantly, it is inexpensive compared to its western counterpart, assuming there is any. The versatility offered by BMP3 Infantry Fighting Vehicle is unmatched by any current standard. It is a de-facto force multiplier. It is a formidable addition to AFP's offensive capability, and more practical solution to persistent operational deficiency that is evident in the AFP. It could save lives and significantly increase the chance of success by the operating infantry. It could prove itself to be a worthwhile investment in furtherance of the AFP’s mission. 

It was the Panzer that successfully led Germany’s Blitzkrieg, similarly when employed in numbers, the BMP3 might very well serve as the AFP’s Panzer.