Modification of vehicle table?

[MajorTalon]

My group has a Soviet character, and that player would like to have a BRDM-3. I am unsure if this would be okay for the group to have in the Kalisz starter adventure, or if I should tell them that they can only generate from the given table in the boxed set.

[Legbreaker]

Unless it's availability rating is R or - let them have it (if they can afford it).
By 2000 everybody is using everybody else's equipment anyway, and there's troops of all sorts of different nationalities mixed in all over the place.
Might be worth pointing out there's a higher risk of friendly fire though...
http://forum.juhlin.com/showthread.php?t=2599

[unkated]

I tend to determine such questions (for anything beyond basic arms and a uniform, not just vehicles) by a roll against the availability percentage. To me, it represents whether the PC managed to come in contact with the item. The cost is a second issue....

Or, let the player tell you why he has such a vehicle. If it sounds good and suits your campaign, it's up to you, of course. Frank Chadwick will not come and check.

Uncle Ted

[Legbreaker]

I tend to determine such questions (for anything beyond basic arms and a uniform, not just vehicles) by a roll against the availability percentage. To me, it represents whether the PC managed to come in contact with the item. The cost is a second issue....

And that is basically how the availability ratings work, except during character generation.
An Eastern Bloc character may not buy equipment listed as rare in the East; other characters may not buy equipment listed as rare in the West.
Note also the table on page 26 of the 2.2 BYB
This table is for US personnel. The referee may substitute equivalent vehicles for other nationalities as necessary.
So it's quite possible for a group of players to roll up a BRDM-3, M2 Halftrack, or even Challenger II if the Ref so decides. Otherwise, if it's not listed as "R" or "-", and they happen to have sufficient cash laying about, there's not much to prevent them simply buying it.
Each character can "buy" equipment at the beginning of the game. This is not meant to represent the actual purchase of equipment; instead, the money for buying equipment allocated to each player is a representation of the value of the equipment he has accumulated over time.