BRDM is an initialism for Boyevaya Razvedyvatelnaya Dozornaya Mashina, (RU Боевая Разведывательная Дозорная Машина),[1] literally "Combat Reconnaissance Patrol Vehicle".
The armor on the vehicle protects fully against small arms fire and artillery shell splinters.
The BRDM-2 is sometimes confused with the Hungarian D-442 FUG amphibious scout car and the D-944 PSZH APC, which have rear engines but also have twin waterjets.
The 9K31 Strela-1 (NATO name "Gaskin") mobile surface-to-air missile system is based on a modified BRDM-2 (4 x 4) amphibious chassis with its belly wheels removed.
Although some Western sources use the designator BRDM-3 for the 9P148—an anti-tank variant of the BRDM-2 with ATGM launcher—the BRDM-3 is in fact based on the BTR-80AK and with a new day/night vision device in front of the commander's position.