BMP-1

This article is about the Soviet fighting vehicle. For the enzyme, see Bone morphogenetic protein 1.

BMP-1
A Polish BMP-1 (BWP-1) during a training exercise in 2016
Type
Place of originSoviet Union
Service history
In service1966–present
Used bySee Service history
WarsSee Service history
Production history
DesignerPavel Isakov (Design Bureau of the ChTZ)[1]
Designed1961–1965
Manufacturer
See also Production history section for details.
Produced1966– (production in the Soviet Union ended in 1982 or 1983) [2]
No. built
  • More than 20,000 of all variants (Soviet Union)[3]
  • More than 3,000 of all variants (PRC)[4]
  • 18,000 (Czechoslovakia)[5]
  • ≈800 (India)[6]
VariantsBMP-1, BMP-2, MLI-84, Boragh; see also BMP-1 variants.
Specifications (Ob'yekt 765Sp3)
Mass13.2 tonnes (13.0 long tons; 14.6 short tons)[7][8]
Length6.735 m (22 ft 1.2 in)[7]
Width2.94 m (9 ft 8 in)[7]
Height
  • 2.068 m (6 ft 9.4 in)
  • 1.881 m (6 ft 2.1 in) to turret top[7][8]
Crew3 (commander, driver and gunner) + 8 passengers
Armor6–33 mm (0.24–1.30 in) welded rolled steel
Main
armament
Secondary
armament
  • 7.62 mm PKT coaxial machine gun (2,000 rounds)
EngineUTD-20 V6 diesel engine
300 hp (224 kW) at 2,600 rpm[7][8]
Power/weight22.7 hp/tonne (17.0 kW/tonne)
Suspensiontorsion bar
Ground clearance370 mm (15 in)[7][8]
Fuel capacity462 L (102 imp gal; 122 US gal)[8]
Operational
range
  • 600 km (370 mi) road[9]
  • 500 km (310 mi) off-road[8]
Maximum speed
  • 65 km/h (40 mph) road
    45 km/h (28 mph) off-road
  • 7–8 km/h (4.3–5.0 mph) water[8][10]

The BMP-1 is a Soviet amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle that has been in service from 1966 to the present. BMP stands for Boyevaya Mashina Pyekhoty 1 (Russian: Боевая Машина Пехоты 1; БМП-1), meaning "infantry fighting vehicle, 1st serial model".[11] The BMP-1 was the first mass-produced infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) of the Soviet Union.[8][12] It was called the M-1967, BMP and BMP-76PB by NATO before its correct designation was known.[13][14]

The Soviet military leadership saw any future wars as being conducted with nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. A new design, like the BMP, combining the properties of an armoured personnel carrier (APC) and a light tank would allow infantry to operate from the relative safety of its armoured, radiation-shielded interior in contaminated areas and to fight alongside it in uncontaminated areas. It would increase infantry squad mobility, provide fire support to them, and also be able to fight alongside main battle tanks.[15]

The BMP-1 was first tested in combat in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, where it was used by Egyptian and Syrian forces. Based on lessons learned from this conflict, and early experiences in the Soviet–Afghan War, a version with improved fighting qualities was developed, the BMP-2. It was accepted into service in August 1980.

In 1987, the BMP-3, a radically redesigned vehicle with a completely new weapon, entered service in limited numbers with the Soviet Army.

  1. ^ a b Zaloga & Sarson (1994), p. 7–8.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference tvo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Боевые Машины Пехоты (БМП) и специальные машины на их базе [Infantry Fighting Vehicles and special machines based on them]. MilitaryParitet.com (in Russian). Archived from the original on 11 December 2009. Retrieved 13 December 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference DeagelBMP-1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Československo v minulosti vyvezlo 35 000 tanků a obrněnců, vyplývá z knihy o čs. tankových silách". Czech Ministry of Defence (in Czech). 6 September 2012. Archived from the original on 21 June 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  6. ^ "Indian Army Equipment". GlobalSecurity.org. Archived from the original on 26 January 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Cite error: The named reference TanksInRussia was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h Боевая машина пехоты БМП-1 [Infantry Fighting Vehicle BMP-1]. Otvaga (in Russian). Archived from the original on 18 December 2007.
  9. ^ Pike, John. "BMP-1 Fighting Vehicle". GlobalSecurity.org. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Janes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ "Contents: Infantry Combat Vehicles" (PDF). Military Parade. p. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 June 2007.
  12. ^ "BMP-1 Fighting Vehicle". FAS.org. Archived from the original on 24 December 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  13. ^ "BMP-1". Warfare.be. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  14. ^ "BMP-1 Infantry Fighting Vehicle". A Brief Guide to Russian Armored Fighting Vehicles. Archived from the original on 6 March 2001.
  15. ^ Zaloga & Sarson (1994), p. 6.