The Bullfrog


Designation: Advanced anti-ground vehicle
Manufacturer: Konstruktsiya Korovova.
Country of origin: USSR.
In series production since: Soviet War Factory.

Key features:

• Tucha PVS 5-7 gun
• CC98 Hlopushka troop deployment system
• Tracks that deploy automatically upon contact with the ground
• ‘Shark’s Tooth’ intimidation paint scheme
• Passenger compartment for five



The Bullfrog KDB-2 is an unusual all-terrain assault vehicle with significant anti-aircraft capability. The Kazminov Design Bureau, based in Kyiv, virtually cemented its monopoly as the Soviet Union’s preferred designer and manufacturer of military vehicles with this particular model, which proved its worth time and time again over more than seven years of fierce combat across the globe.


The KDB-2 Bullfrog replaces the Soviet Union’s Flak Track with an amphibious chassis, an experimental troop-carrying mechanism and a fresh new design.

The Bullfrog is an amphibious variant of the obsolete Soviet Flak Track and features a specialised version of its predecessor’s anti-aircraft weapon combined with an innovative infantry launch system: the Hlopushka Troop Deployment System (part CC98-HTDS), colloquially known as the ‘human cannon’.As its name suggests, this device is capable of launching a man approximately one thousand metres, where he can be dropped behind enemy lines using a standard parachute. The year-on-year safety record for this unorthodox transport system continues to improve at a rate of 40 per cent, which would surely have delighted its inventor, the legendary circus ringmaster and patriot Arkady Ilyushin, who had survived the Bullfrog’s tragic maiden voyage.

A hotly debated side effect of the CC98-HTDS is that the airlock generates sufficient pressure within the firing mechanisms that, in practice, the only way for troops to exit the vehicle during combat operations is to be fired from the barrel. Following field trials, strict regulations were imposed, which significantly reduced complaints from Soviet Conscripts regarding neck trauma, nausea, acrophobia or general malaise when using this system. In accordance with new combat regulations, the Bullfrog is now becoming the standard, with suitable adaptations for larger passengers, such as trained War Bears and Tesla Troopers. The interior of the barrel is greased to ensure that these forces are less likely to catch fire due to friction during launch.


Allied Forces are known to designate Bullfrogs as priority targets due to their dangerous anti-aircraft guns, which pose a threat to enemy aircraft. Shown here is an early prototype without amphibious capability.

Apart from its Troop Crawler role, the Bullfrog is equipped with the “powerful yet conventional” PVS 5-7 Tucha gun, which can easily track fast-moving aerial targets and fill the skies with metal fragments capable of effectively tearing apart fuselages and cockpits alike. The vehicle itself is robust and manoeuvrable, making it effective for defending coastal territories. Its all-terrain tracks engage automatically as soon as the vehicle detects contact with solid ground, which helps the Bullfrog to operate with ease. This, combined with the attractive and patriotic standard livery applied to the vehicle, has consequently inspired many Soviet citizens to enlist in the armed forces in the hope of becoming Bullfrog pilots. Indeed, Bullfrog operators are known for being enthusiastic and open-minded during combat, even under pressure. They tend to fulfil their support role on the battlefield with great pride.


Reconnaissance on the battlefield has at least revealed the following facts about the Bullfrogs:

• Cannot attack ground targets– Essentially an armoured vehicle, the Bullfrog is resistant to small-calibre weapons but vulnerable to anti-tank fire. Furthermore, its primary weapon is designed solely for anti-aircraft defence, meaning the Bullfrog cannot return fire against enemy ground forces.

-The remarkable ‘cannon man’– In addition to its Anti-Aircraft Gun, the Bullfrog is equipped with the ‘cannon man’ Hlopushka, which can launch infantry into battle or onto tactically advantageous terrain. For example, infantry can be launched onto elevated terrain, over enemy base defences, from sea to land, and more. The infantry parachute automatically down to the launch platform.

-Single exit– It should be noted that once infantry units enter a Bullfrog, the ‘cannon man’ is the only way out, apart from death. Consequently, it is unwise to use the Bullfrog as a troop transport in areas with heavy anti-aircraft defences.

-Mass production – Bullfrogs can be built in a Weapons Factory or a Naval Yard and perform equally well on land and at sea. In both cases, the Bullfrog is one of the Soviet Union’s most effective responses to air power.