The first mass-produced infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) of the USSR

The BMP-1 is a Soviet amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle. BMP stands for Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty, meaning "infantry fighting vehicle". The BMP-1 was the first mass-produced infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) of USSR. At the time it was intruduced in the 1960's it was a very innovative design and had a big impact on military thinking.

The Soviet military leadership saw any future wars as being conducted with nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and a new design combining the properties of an APC and a light tank. The requirement for the BMP, stressed speed, good armament, and the ability for all squad members to fire from within the vehicle. Firepower consisted of the innovative combination of the 73 mm 2A28 Grom gun and a launcher for the AT-3A Sagger anti-tank wire-guided missile.

The BMP-1 was first tested in combat in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, where it was used by Egyptian and Syrian forces. The BMP-1 had several short comings that were exposed during war. The armor on the sides and rear could be relatively easily penetrated and ingnite the fuel or ammunition. The main 73mm gun was only effective with-in a short range and the Sagger missile was difficult to aim & reload in the small turret. On the positive side, the vehicle was praised for being fast, agile and amphibious. These advantages amazed the Israeli military. Its ability to swim proved useful when it was used by the Egyptians in the first wave of Suez Canal crossings. Based on lessons learned from this conflict, and early experiences in the Soviet War in Afghanistan, a version with improved fighting qualities was developed, called the BMP-2.

We thank the Project Reality mod team for sharing the orginal model and texture with us. The model & original texture for the BMP-1 are by SashaSK8. SPYKER created these two amazing Egyptian textures. We also have a Syrian texture on the way.