BMP-1 INFANTRY TANK

The BMP-1 is a light-armoured tank with an all-welded steel hull which is mounted by a one-man turret armed with a 2A28 73 mm smooth-bore gun and a coaxial 7.62 mm machine-gun.  The 73 mm gun is automatically loaded and fires HEAT or He-FRAG rounds.  The gun barrel carries a launching rail for AT-3 Sagger ATGWs for long range engagements with enemy armour.

The vehicle has a crew of three - the commander, a driver and a gunner.  The commander and driver are seated in tandem fashion beside the engine and transmission unit.  Behind them the gunner controls the single-man turret.  At the rear of the vehicle there is accommodation for eight infantrymen.  The single-man turret is capable of a 360 degree rotation and the vehicle is powered by a 6-cylinder type 5D20 300 bhp water-cooled diesel engine.  The BMP-1 has five forward gears and one reverse with torsion bar suspension.  The vehicle is fully amphibious and is powered through water by the paddling effect of its tracks.

The vehicle has seen action in Afghanistan, Mozambique, the Middle East, in the Iran/Iraq war, Chad and Angola.

SPECIFICATIONS

CREW3 + 8
COMBAT WEIGHT13,500 kg
POWER-TO-WEIGHT
     RATIO22.22 hp/tonne
GROUND PRESSURE0.6 kg/cm
LENGTH6.74 m
WIDTH2.94 m
HEIGHT
   (over searchlight)2.15 m
GROUND CLEARANCE0.39 m
TRACK2.75 m
TRACK WIDTH300 mm
LENGTH OF TRACK
     ON GROUND3.53 m
MAX SPEED
road80 km/h
water6-8 km/h
FUEL CAPACITY460 litres
MAX RANGE500 km
FUEL CONSUMPTION1 litre/km
FORDINGamphibious
GRADIENT60%
SIDE SLOPE30%
VERTICAL OBSTACLE0.8 m
TRENCH2.2 m
ENGINEType 5D20 6 - cylinder
in-line water-cooled
diesel developing
300 hp at 2000 rpm.
TRANSMISSIONmanual 5 forward
and  1 reverse gears,
STEERINGclutch and brake.
SUSPENSIONtorsion bar.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM24 V
ARMAMENT
main1 x 73 mm
coaxial1 x 7.62 mm MG
other1 launcher rail for
Sagger ATGW
SMOKE-LAYING
  EQUIPMENTdiesel fuel injected
into exhaust
AMMUNITION
main40
coaxial2000
other4 + 1 Sagger
GUN CONTROL
   EQUIPMENT
Turret power controlelectric/manual
Gun elevation/depression+33  /-4
Gun stabiliser 
  verticalno
  horizontalno
ARMOUR
Hull front upper7 mm at 80
Hull front lower19 mm at 57
Hull side upper16 mm at 14
Hull side lower18 m at 0
Hull rear upper16 mm at 19
Hull rear lower16 mm at 19
Hull top6 mm
Hull belly front5 mm
Hull belly rear7 mm
Turret front23 mm at 42
Turret sides19 mm  at 36
Turret rear13 mm at 30
Turret top6 mm
Turret mantlet26-33 mm
