BMP-1

BMP-1

BTR-80A

Object 906

BMP-1

BTR-80A

Object 906

USSR

V Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
7.7	8.0	8.0

Class:

Light tank

Research:105 000

Purchase:300 000

This page is about the Russian light tank BMP-1. For the German version, see SPz BMP-1. For other uses, see BMP (Disambiguation).

Description

The BMP-1 is a rank V Soviet light tank with a battle rating of 7.7 (AB) and 8.0 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.71 "New E.R.A.".

The BMP-1 is a shoot-and-scoot type of vehicle as an exposed BMP-1 is a dead BMP-1 - avoid being a target at all costs. Use your mobility to find reasonable sniping spots (for your ATGM) and only use your cannon if an enemy is close and unaware of your presence. Remember that if anything sees you, it can destroy you - even a .50 cal will make quick work of the BMP-1 from the sides or back.

General info

Survivability and armour

The BMP-1 has very little to speak of in the armour department. Minimal frontal and nearly non-existent side armour results in the vehicle being vulnerable to almost any incoming fire. As such, the vehicle's survivability stems entirely from its mobility and reasonably small profile. Where possible, utilise hills or other cover, only exposing as much of the vehicle as is necessary to engage an unaware target.

Despite the lack of armour, however, the BMP-1 will, on occasion, survive hits unexpectedly - the internals of the vehicle are largely non-critical and many rounds will over-penetrate.

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	7-12 mm (80°) Front glacis 19 mm (56°) Lower glacis	16 mm (3-18°) Top 18 + 4 mm Bottom	16 mm (12°) Top 12 mm (48°) Bottom 12 mm (8-51°) Doors	6 mm 5 mm Engine exhausts
Turret	23 mm (0-53°) Turret front 33 + 26 mm Gun mantlet	13-23 mm (24-37°)	13 mm (23-26°)	6 mm
Armour	Sides	Roof
Cupola	7 mm	7 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels and tracks are 10 mm thick.
• Belly armour is 6 mm thick.

Mobility

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	73	12	13	465	572	35.77	44
Realistic	66	11		265	300	20.38	23.08

The BMP-1's mobility is reasonably good, although somewhat lacking relative to other IFVs. Despite that, once it gets moving it can travel at a decent pace.

Be aware when attempting flanking maneuvers and early pushes that there are vehicles with better mobility characteristics, and in many cases you'll encounter a vehicle before reaching a desirable position.

Armaments

Main armament

The 2A28 main cannon, despite being the 'main' armament will more often than not act more as secondary armament, at least once the BMP-1P upgrade is researched, due to the 9M113 ATGM proving significantly more controllable and effective at all engagement ranges. Despite this, the PG-9 HEAT round proves valuable in a pinch, with well-placed shots able to disable critical components on most vehicles the BMP-1 will face. Keep in mind that the BMP-1 does not feature any sort of stabilisation at all, and due to its light weight the gun is near impossible to get on target at speed.

The main cannon's primary drawback is its mediocre ballistic performance, with the HEAT round travelling at only 665 m/s and the HE round travelling at an abysmal 290 m/s. As such, the projectile drop is extreme, albeit not the worst in-game. The HEAT round also has relatively poor slope characteristics, with the penetration dropping to just 150 mm if it hits an armour plate with more than 60 degrees of slope.

73 mm 2A28					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	40	-4°/+30°	±180°	N/A	19.04	26.35	32.00	35.39	37.65	6.00	6.00	6.00	6.00
Realistic					11.90	14.00	17.00	18.80	20.00

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
PG-9	HEAT	300	300	300	300	300	300
OG-9	HE	11	11	11	11	11	11

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
PG-9	HEAT	665	2.6	0.05	0.1	1,130	65°	72°	77°
OG-9	HE	290	3.7	0	0.1	735	79°	80°	81°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the BMP-1

Full ammo	1st rack empty	Visual discrepancy
40	1 (+39)	No

The single ammunition rack consists of a shell barillet located around the turret basket.

Additional armament

9M14

The BMP-1 comes with a rail-mounted manually-guided ATGM as stock, initially aimed manually and with somewhat mediocre penetration and explosive mass values. While occasionally useful, generally the main gun is easier and more reliable to use.

4 x 9M14 ATGM

• Guidance type: MCLOS
• Firing range: 3 km

9M113

Once the BMP-1P upgrade is researched, the rail-mounted 9M14 ATGM is replaced with a spindle-mounted 9M113 ATGM. This ATGM is significantly more powerful and easier to use due to its semi-automatic guiding system. Improved penetration values and significantly increased explosive mass will result in far more reliable destructive power. Keep in mind that the ATGM can only be fired when stopped or at extremely low speeds.

4 x 9M113 ATGM (BMP-1P)

• Guidance type: SACLOS
• Firing range: 3 km

9M14 ATGM / 9M113 ATGM					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	4	-5°/+10°	-15°/+37°	N/A	19.04	26.35	32.00	35.39	37.65	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Realistic					11.90	14.00	17.00	18.80	20.00

Note: The vertical and horizontal traverse depend on the turret position and are only relevant to the 9M113 ATGM.

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
9M14	ATGM	400	400	400	400	400	400
9M113	ATGM	600	600	600	600	600	600

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
9M14	ATGM	120	10.90	N/A	0.1	2,600	80°	82°	90°
9M113	ATGM	205	14.50	N/A	0.1	2,750	80°	82°	90°

Ammo racks

Full ammo	Visual discrepancy
4	No

Notes:

• The missiles are listed from M1 to M4 (see the picture above).
• Missiles are modeled individually and disappear after having been launched.
• It is not possible to select how many missiles to bring into battle.

Machine guns

The BMP-1 comes equipped with a coaxial 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. This is only useful for clearing small obstacles or exposed crew in open-top vehicles.

7.62 mm PKT
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	2,000 (1,000)	700	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

The BMP-1's limitations as a light tank hinders its ability to directly fight enemy vehicles, nor survive any punishment sent its way. It needs to play with cover and concealment frequently as any vehicle with a heavy machine gun, be it ground or air, can quite easily shred the BMP-1 apart if a round hits the side or roof armour. Considering one of the common enemy nation of the BMP-1 is the USA, which has a habit of putting a heavy machine gun on any tank, means that the BMP-1 needs to be extremely careful and aware of their surroundings before moving up, lest it gets torn apart by a barrage of bullets.

However, the BMP-1's traits in mobility and firepower makes the vehicle a good scout and ambush vehicle.

Scouting

The BMP-1 in War Thunder can't serve as an IFV as it is in real life due to the lack of infantry, but it does have the ability to active scout. This role makes the BMP-1's mobility an important factor of the vehicle's success, as getting to places that the enemy is not aware of to scout out can mean a lot to the team's successes. Even in the active scouting's cooldown period, do not be afraid to communicate to the team where the enemy is with the map and chat function.

In this role, the BMP-1 should avoid contact with the enemy. Utilise useful camouflage and whatever cover is available to make sure the enemy cannot see the BMP-1 at a first glance (or without switching to any available special optics like thermals). Although this may mean the BMP-1 is not as active in destroying the enemy, it is an important role for the team overall that the scout continues to observe the enemy so that battlefield information is kept up to date.

The BMP-1 of course may be spotted during this endeavor, and so an exit strategy should be maintained. Should an enemy round start flying around the BMP-1's direction, or an enemy was observed trying to move onto the BMP-1's position, begin exfiltrating. Utilise smoke for concealment (default with the ESS, but smoke grenades are available with the BMP-1P modification upgrade) if needed.

Ambushing

Though the BMP-1 is not good standing up against enemy tanks, the BMP-1 still has the necessary firepower to deal with most. The 73 mm has decent amount of penetration for a hit, but the low muzzle velocity is detrimental for long-range targets (although, it can be utilised for a parabolic firing arc against enemies beyond hills). The key weapon on the BMP-1 is the four ATGM mounted on the turret, with either the manual 9M14 or the semi-active 9M113 missle (the latter with the BMP-1P upgrade) as options. Although both have better penetration values than the 73 mm cannon, the 9M113 missile with the BMP-1P upgrade is a much better candidate for this role due to the increased missile velocity and lethality.

Moving around the flanks, the BMP-1 should try to find a nice, open field of fire against common enemy paths. Try to establish the BMP-1 around objectives so as teammates fire upon the enemy and force them to take cover, the BMP-1 can manouvre to an ideal angle and hit the enemy thinking they are in cover. The ideal manner of firing on the enemy is, if the target is less than 500 m, to engage first with the 73 mm cannon. If this does not destroy nor critically damage the enemy to disable their movement or firepower, then follow up with a missile into the hull. If the target is at farther ranges, engage first with the missile to ensure the first shot hits the target. Be wary of longer engagements as there are only 4 missiles onboard the BMP-1, and more shots will mean the enemy have a better idea of the BMP-1's position.

If a hit from the side is not ideal to the map, a "shoot-and-scoot" tactic of hiding behind cover and exposing the BMP-1 only long enough to fire a missile or shot can be sufficient too in dealing with the enemy. However, beware of exposing the BMP-1 by manner of going over hills, as the turret's gun depression is only -4 degrees (-5 degree for the 9M113 missile launcher) and doing so will expose a large portion of the BMP-1's hull to the enemy.

Should the BMP-1's position become compromised, dump smoke and exfiltrate the area.

Night-fighting

The BMP-1's with the fixed hull-mounted IR spotlight on in NVD mode. One can observe that the spotlight does not follow the turret.

Either of the role above can still be performed at night, but one must utilise the tools available in the BMP-1 to make the most of the environment.

The BMP-1 can research the Night Vision Device (NVD) modification, which can help during night battles to help with visibility. NVD is available in commander, gunner, driver and outside view ports. Utilising the NVD can brighten up a hazy horizon due to the night.

Another tool with the NVD modification is an infrared spotlight, which can help illuminate targets if they are hard to see even with the NVD. However, the spotlight is fixed to the hull and does not move with the gun, requiring alignment of the hull towards the target requiring illumination. The infrared spotlight, when on, also marks the BMP-1 with a giant light that any enemy with the same NVD can spot easily. As such, usage of the infrared spotlight should be minimised, with total reliance on the base NVD by itself or only periodically switching on the spotlight and quickly turning it off once a picture of the battlefield is obtained.

Modules

Tier	Mobility		Protection	Firepower
I	Tracks		Parts	Horizontal Drive
II	Suspension	Brake System	FPE	Adjustment of Fire	Airstrike
III	Filters		Crew Replenishment	Elevation Mechanism	BMP-1P
IV	Transmission	Engine	ESS	Artillery Support	Improved optics	NVD

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Fairly mobile, both weapon systems are particularly effective against the lightly armoured vehicles it will encounter often such as the Leopard I, OF-40, etc
• One of the earliest ATGM vehicles available and the earliest to receive mouse-guided (SACLOS) ATGMs (with the BMP-1P modification)
• Decent main gun HEAT round penetrating up to 300mm of armour at any range, effective against last-gen heavy tanks like the Conqueror, M103, etc
• Amphibious ability which can allow it to reach positions that other vehicles struggle to
• Functional even in uptiers, due to its piercing ATGM and HEAT
• All ammunition types are default and as such have no cost
• Night Vision allows effectiveness in night battles
• Very good in flanking the enemy team, especially in 38th Parallel

Cons:

• Mediocre reverse speed, particularly for a light tank
• Default missiles are manually guided, upgraded missiles must be unlocked with the BMP-1P research
• Vulnerable to hull breaks, particularly from HEAT-FS rounds
• Chemical ammunition only, may struggle to damage vehicles with ERA like the M60A1 RISE (P)
• All available ammunition is hyper-sensitive and will detonate on hitting light obstacles such as fences or bushes
• Somewhat large silhouette for a light tank. Will get seen and shot at easier
• Minimal gun depression makes it struggle in hills
• Has no stabiliser, accurate shots on the move or in water are often not possible
• Only three crew members, two of whom sit extremely close together, reducing the vehicle's survivability
• Vulnerable to heavy machine gun and light cannon fire, particularly from the sides or top. SPAA like the Gepard are a big threat
• Very vulnerable to aircraft and helicopters
• Bombs and artillery can deal significant damage, even when at a distance
• Infrared Spotlight mounted to hull, won't rotate with turret when NVD is on

History

Development

In the 1950's, Soviet armored personnel carrier (APC) tactics consisted of lightly armored vehicles that would transport soldiers to combat zones, and then head back behind the lines to safety. During this time, the West German Bundeswehr was using the Schützenpanzer Lang and infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) tactics, where the vehicles would work with the infantry and tanks in order to support them, especially against lightly armored targets. The BMP was a Soviet IFV design created in the late 1950's. Some of the requirements were the ability for all of the infantry carried to be able to fire from within the vehicle, which was unseen before in IFV designs. It was intended to support the infantry and combat enemy light vehicles. The design placed emphasis on speed and maneuverability, potent armament, and sufficient armament to protect against 23 mm autocannons over the frontal arc. There was a debate over how the vehicle should be wheeled or tracked, and a number of options were explored including hybrid designs with both. The design that was chosen was a tracked vehicle with the engine in the front and the crew compartment in the rear; it was designated the Object 764. A prototype was created in 1964, and the final design was chosen in 1965 - an improved model called the Object 765. In service the production model was called the BMP-1.

Design

The BMP-1 features a fully tracked hull, with a sharply angled glacis at the front, a centrally mounted turret, and a crew compartment in the rear of the hull, with doors for the infantry to mount and dismount the vehicle. The hull layout is as follows: the engine was in the front right section of the hull. The driver sat to the front left of the vehicle, the commander sat right behind the driver, and the gunner sat in the right side of the turret. The troop compartment located at the rear of the vehicle could seat 8 infantry soldiers. The ability to fire from inside the vehicle was provided by four firing ports on each side of the hull and one in the left door. There are also four hatches in the roof. The infantry sit on two benches with padding, back to back, facing the outer sides of the vehicle. The armor of the frontal arc is enough to generally protect against 20 mm autocannon fire, the side armor generally protects against 12.7 mm machine gun fire, and the roof and rear armor protects against small arms fire and shell fragments. In addition, the sloped glacis on the front of the hull also increased the chances of shells bouncing, because of the extreme angles. The protection level depended somewhat on the version of the BMP-1 in question, as different nations had differing levels of armor quality. The main armament consisted of a 73 mm 2A28 Grom smoothbore semi-automatic cannon, along with a 9M14 Malyutka anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). Secondary armament consisted of a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. The engine provides 300 hp, and is a six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engine. The suspension system used was a torsion bar suspension system. The BMP-1 is fully amphibious with little preparation. Before entering the water a trim vane has to be raised, which provides additional frontal armor when in the lowered position. It can achieve 65 kph (40 mph) on road and 8 kph (5 mph) in water.

Production and Service

Over 20,000 BMP-1's were produced in the Soviet Union alone, with many more produced in China and Czechoslovakia. The BMP-1 was widely exported and saw significant combat worldwide. BMP-1's participated in the Yom Kippur War, the Angolan Civil War, the Iran-Iraq War, the Gulf War, and many other conflicts. It was well liked for its maneuverability, but it was found that the cannon lacked effective range and the 9M14 ATGM's were hard to control. During the Gulf War it was found that the 25 mm Bushmaster cannon found on the M2/M3 Bradley could consistently penetrate the frontal armor of the BMP-1, even at range.

BMP-1P Upgrade

The BMP-1P was an upgrade to the ATGM systems of the BMP-1. It replaced the 9M14 Malyutka missiles with 9M113 Konkurs or 9M111 missile. This increased the weight of the vehicle, leading to a slight decrease in maneuverability.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the BMP-1 from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The Shooting Range #63 - War Machines section at 04:49 discusses the BMP-1.

Amphibious tanks discusses the BMP-1 at 5:15 - War Thunder Official Channel

Best IFVs discusses the BMP-1 at 0:29 - War Thunder Official Channel

See also

Same vehicle serving in other nations

• SPz BMP-1
• ZBD86

Similar Soviet vehicles

• BMP-2

External links

• [Devblog] BMP-1 - "Master of Adaptation"
• Wikipedia - BMP-1
• Tanks Encyclopedia - Soviet BMP-1 IFV