The vehicle was designed to transport Russian Airborne Troops (VDV), increasing its mobility, armament, and protection on the battlefield.

It also features secondary weapons designed to engage and destroy enemy infantry and armored fighting vehicles.

[7] It was later noted by Colonel Gennady Anashkin that the BMD-4 will still enter service due to the vehicle being a completely new generation essential for the VDV.

[8] VDV commander Vladimir Shamanov told in an interview that the original BMD-4 possessed an unreliable base while the modernized BMD-4M is more than satisfying for the Russian airborne troops.

According to test results and Mikhail Bolotin, the president of Concern Tractor Plants (KTZ), mass production was initially planned for the following year.

[11] Nikolay Makarov, the Chief of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces, dismissed the BMD-4 as "a version of the BMP-3" with no protection and costs more than an expensive tank.

[12] In August 2012, Alexander Sukhorukov, who was then deputy Defense Minister, said that the BMD-4M armored vehicle does not meet the requirements put forward by the Russian military, and will not be purchased.

[8] At the same time, a week before, Vladimir Shamanov said the BMD-4M is fully compliant with the VDV, which was more important in this regard than the requirements of the Ministry of Defence.

[14] "The vehicles proved themselves as technology of the future: they roved in differing climatic conditions, airdropped, tested in water, including being redeployed at sea.

Kholzakov added that the decision of the state commission came as field tests of BMD-4M airborne fighting vehicles and BTR-MD Rakushka armored personnel carriers concluded successfully in 2014.

[5] The 100 mm gun is fitted with an autoloader that fires at a rate of 10-12 rounds per minute,[5] with the time of each shell loading being 5–6 seconds.

[5] Minimum gas contamination of the turret is achieved by a delayed unlocking due to single-barrel long recoil action and forward case ejection.

[5] The 100 mm tank gun is also capable of firing the 9M117M1 Arkan anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) which is a further development of the 9M117 Bastion (NATO reporting name: AT-10 Stabber).

[18] The turret holds four 9M117M1 missiles[5] and is launched through the 100 mm gun ensuring a crucial advantage due to the loading being completely internal rather than external[5] unlike other infantry fighting vehicles.

While traveling at an average speed of 300 m/s, the Arkan is guided via laser beam riding and is capable of destroying targets up to 5.5 km away.

These secondary weapons include a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun, and a 9P135M launcher post capable of firing additional anti tank missiles.

This armor protects the BMD-4 from 30 mm weapons like its own 2A72 autocannon towards the front[citation needed], and small arms fire and shell splinters towards the side.

To counter infrared guidance and weapons, six 81 mm ZD6 smoke grenade dischargers in two banks of three are mounted towards the sides of the turret.

The BMD-4 is able to fire all its primary armaments effectively regardless of whether the vehicle is stationary or mobile, whether the time is day or night, or whether it is afloat or land based.

The FCS implements a significant increase of the armament effectiveness by engaging a wide scope of targets in complicated weather and landscape conditions.

[5] Like its predecessor, the BMD-4 is capable of parachuting from aircraft with the entire crew and passengers inside the vehicle which allows target engagement after landing to be instant.

[3][24] The BMD-4 is also fully amphibious with two water jets mounted on each side of the back of the hull and can swim at speeds of up to 10 km/h in a Beaufort scale of 2.

[3] The first production batch of the new BMD-4M and BTR-MDM "Rakushka" armoured vehicles, comprising 24 units (12 each) was transferred to the Russian Airborne Troops on March 3, 2015.

[25] The Russian Defense Ministry is to receive more than 250 airborne troops’ BMD-4M combat vehicles and BTR-MDM Rakushka armored personnel carriers over three years under a contract.

A total of 132 airborne infantry fighting vehicles BMD-4M and 58 BTR-MDM Rakushka armored personnel carriers will be delivered before 2020.

[53] In January 2019, the Russian MoD announced it would begin state trials of the 9P163 Kornet-D1 anti-tank missile system, a version of the BMD-4M chassis modified to fire Kornet ATGMs.