Soviet Union Infantry fighting vehicles • '''BMP (Ob'yekt 764)''' – The original main prototype of the BMP-1 was developed by the design bureau of the
Chelyabinsk Tractor Works (ChTZ) and built in 1965. In comparison with Ob'yekt 765Sp1, Ob'yekt 764 was 4 mm higher, had a maximum swimming speed of 10 km/h, a lower maximum range (550 km on road) and a reduced number of firing ports for its passenger's armament (six). The vehicle had a curved shock-absorber behind the first road wheel and the rear fender and two tool stowage boxes on the fenders. To start production of the new vehicle, the design of the fighting and troop compartments were improved. Unlike the BMP-1, Ob'yekt 764 used a waterjet for swimming, which was removed to save space inside the vehicle. Ob'yekt 764 also had a larger main fuel tank, while the BMP-1 had the main fuel tank reduced in size and partially placed under the troop compartment. • '''BMP (Ob'yekt 765Sp1)'
(Sp stands for spetsifikatsiya'' – specification) – An early type with a shorter nose section and a larger angled plate at the top of the hull line. The two tool stowage boxes on the fenders were removed. The swim vanes were modified by reducing the number of vanes from seven to four and the fender profile was raised nearer to the horizontal. The fume extraction ports on the hull roof to the rear of the turret were moved outwards and reoriented to point toward the rear of the vehicle. The single torsion bar used to spring the rear roof troop hatches was replaced by a twin torsion bar system. The firing ports on the side were moved up into the armor plate, giving the weapons used in the ports a higher degree of elevation. The vehicle weighs 12.6 tonnes. It was built from 1966 to 1969. It is sometimes incorrectly known as the
BMP-A by some Western sources. NATO gave it the designation
BMP Model 1966. •
BMP-1S – The experimental prototype was equipped with the AV-1 device at the commander's station for target laser designation and for damaging enemy optics. Developed and tested in the 1970s, ammunition for the ATGM launcher was reduced from four to two 9M14Ms, as was the number of passengers (seven instead of eight). • '''BMP-1 (Ob'yekt 765Sp8)''' – This variant was additionally armed with a 30 mm AGS-17 "Plamya" automatic grenade launcher for which it carried 290 rounds. A large number of BMP-1 (Ob'yekts 765Sp1-765Sp3) IFVs were upgraded to this model during preventive and major repairs. Such IFVs carried up to seven troopers instead of eight. In Western sources they are sometimes called the
"BMP-1G" but this is not an official Soviet designation. NATO gave it the name
BMP M1979/1 •
BMP-1D (D stands for "desantnaya" – assault) – This vehicle is a modernized BMP-1 built in 1982 for Soviet assault battalions serving in Afghanistan. It is often known as the "Afghan" variant. It has 5–6 mm thick
appliqué steel armor on the sides of the hull as well as five plates per side covering the suspension and additional armor under the commander's and driver's seats for protection against mines. Because of this modification, the side armor of the BMP-1D is able to withstand 12.7 mm armor-piercing rounds fired by the DShK and Browning M2 heavy machine guns used by the Afghan Mujahideen, which can penetrate the side armor of the standard BMP-1, as well as larger artillery shell fragments. The additional armor has holes cut out to allow the transported infantry to use their small arms through the firing ports. Additional firing ports were added into the top hatches of the troop compartment and a stowage box was placed on the roof at the rear of the hull (some vehicles did not have it). The use of appliqué armor increased the
ground pressure to 0.65 kg/cm2, decreased the maximum range to 500 km and jeopardized the amphibious ability. The 9S428 ATGM launcher was often replaced by an AGS-17 "Plamya" automatic grenade launcher in field conditions. • '''Ob'yekt 768''' – It was an experimental IFV utilizing parts of the BMP-1 developed and built in 1972. A new two-man turret armed with a 73 mm "Zarnitsa" semi-automatic smoothbore gun and a 12.7 mm coaxial
heavy machine gun, was installed. The original design included a small rotating turret on top of the commander's hatch armed with a 7.62 mm PKT general-purpose machine gun but it was not included in the prototype. It was also armed with a pintle-mounted ATGM launcher capable of firing SACLOS guided 9M113 "Konkurs" (AT-5 Spandrel) and 9M113M "Konkurs-M" (AT-5B Spandrel) ATGMs. It carried 40 rounds for the main gun, 500 rounds for the coaxial machine gun and 4 ATGMs. Ob'yekt 768 had a significantly modified nose section and strengthened suspension with an additional road wheel. The track unit was equipped with hydrodynamic grills to increase swimming traction performance but it was decided to remove them because of the damage from stones. It weighed 13.6 tonnes and had a crew of three men (+ 7 troopers). The prototype is preserved at the
Kubinka Tank Museum. •
BMP-1KShM – Modernization of the BMP-1KSh, new improved navigational and radio equipment was installed. Visual differences between the BMP-1KSh and the BMP-1KShM are insignificant. It was widely used during counter-terrorism operations in Chechnya. •
BRM-1 – With its antennae relocated to the rear of the turret. •
2S17-2 Nona-SV – Prototype Soviet 120-mm
self-propelled gun based on the BRM-1K.
Artillery reconnaissance • '''PRP-3 "Val" (Ob'yekt 767, 1ZhZ)'
(PRP stands for podvizhnoy razvedyvatel'niy punkt'' – mobile reconnaissance post) – Is a BMP-1 converted into an artillery reconnaissance vehicle. It entered service with the Soviet Army in 1970 (production started in 1972 at the Kurgan Engineering Works and in 1979 at the Rubtsovsk Engineering Works). The vehicle was fitted with two R-123M or R-108 radios and optical devices which enabled it to function in the artillery/guided missile target indication, fire adjustment and/or artillery/mortar locating roles. It was armed with one PKT machine gun in a ball mount in front of the new, bigger, two-man turret which was positioned further back than in a normal BMP-1. The turret had two single-piece hatches which opened forward. Both hatches had periscopes for observation and a large optical device in front of each hatch. A shuttered housing held an optical device on the right hand side of the turret. It had a rectangular folding antenna for the 1RL126 "Small Fred" counterbattery/surveillance radar mounted in a circular hatch cover on the left of the rear of the turret which operated in the J-band and had a detection range of 20 km and a tracking range of 7 km. It also had 1V44/1G13M/1G25-1 navigational systems, a 1D6/D6M1 laser rangefinder, a 10P79 vision device, a 1PN29 night vision device and a 90 mm 2P130-1 launcher with 20 9M41 illumination missiles. The crew was increased from 3 to 5 men. One PRP was assigned to an artillery/guided missile battalion (towed or self-propelled) and to the target acquisition battery of an artillery regiment. It was also known as
BMP-SON. NATO gave it the designation
BMP M1975. •
BREM-Ch is the Soviet designation for the Czechoslovak-built VPV ARV, the design of which was inspired by the BREM-2. The unofficial designation
BREM-4 is used in Soviet Army units which received Czechoslovak-made VPVs.
Combat engineer • ''''
(IRM stands for inzhenernaya razvedyvatel'naya mashina
– engineer reconnaissance vehicle, "Zhuk" means Beetle'') – All-terrain combat engineer vehicle for land and river reconnaissance, developed in the 1970s. Production started in 1980 with the use of components from both the BMP-1 and BMP-2. Fifty IRMs were produced from 1986. However, the suspension had a new hull, one extra road wheel and one additional hydraulic shock-absorber. It has four pressurized compartments, with the engine located at the rear. There are three hatches on the top of the hull and one emergency hatch in the bottom. The IRM is equipped with two retractable propellers in ring covers for swimming and steering and two cases with 16 9M39 solid engines (each has a thrust of 312 kg and weighs 6.3 kg), for getting out of mud. Special reconnaissance equipment consists of two R-147 radios; one PIR-451 periscope; TNPO-160, TNP-370 and TNV-25M periscopic observation devices; an AGI-1s horizon indicator; a DSP-30 portable periscopic rangefinder, a PAB-2M portable aiming circle, one TNA-3 gyroscopic navigational device, an EIR echo depth finder with automatic recorder and three sonar transducers, a RShM-2 river-type wide-span mine detector, RVM-2M and IMP-2 portable mine detectors, a PR-1 portable penetrometer used to analyze soil for crossability and an ice drill with ice stake. The vehicle has two arms for detecting metallic mines which are mounted on the front of the hull. They can be retracted when not in use. The mine detector arms can be hydraulically articulated to their operating position in under three minutes. The mine detector brings the vehicle to a full stop upon encountering an obstacle or detecting a metallic object. The PIR-451 periscope is mounted on the right hand side of the front of the vehicle, at the commander's station. It can be extended to 1.5 m and can move vertically up to 750 mm. The IRM also has an air revitalization system, automatic fire extinguishers, a water pump with a capacity of 1,000 L/min, an automatic NBC protection system and an engine thermal smoke generator. It weighs 17.2 tonnes and has a crew of six. It is 8.22 m long, 3.15 m wide and 2.40 m high. Ground clearance is 420 mm. It has a maximum road speed of 52 km/h and it can swim at up to 12 km/h. It is armed with a PKT machine gun fitted in a small turret for which it carries 1,000 rounds. In the west, the IRM was believed to be based on the
2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer until 1986 when its true origins became known.
Russia BMP-1 variants and modernization •
BMP-1 "Razbezhka" – A BMP-1 with a turret from the
BMD-2. It was to be armed with a 30 mm autocannon. It was developed by the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant at the end of the 1990s. It never left the design stage.
Auxiliary (refuelers, repair) •
BTZ-3 (BTZ stands for
bronirovanny toplivozapravshchik – armored refueler) – Is a BMP-1 converted into an armored refueler developed during the
First Chechen War. Two prototypes were built. The BTZ is equipped with a 3,000-l fuel tank and a 100-l engine oil tank, fuel-oil pumps, a fuel-dispensing unit and a fire-extinguishing system. One prototype was used successfully in
Chechnya. Preparations were made to start production. • '''RM-G (Ob'yekt 507)'
(RM-G stands for remontnaya mashina – gusenichnaya'' – repair vehicle, tracked) – It is a BMP-1 converted into a repair vehicle produced by the
Rubtsovsk Engineering Works from 1995. It is used for technical reconnaissance as well as for routine repairs and the recovery of tanks and IFVs. The RM-G is fitted with a 1 tonne load platform, a superstructure at the rear of the hull and a 3 tonne KU-3 crane at the front of the hull. The superstructure has a small IR searchlight and six 81 mm 902V "Tucha" smoke grenade launchers (three on each side). It is armed with one 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. The RM-G is also equipped with different tools, electric welding and diagnostic equipment and a RM-G electricity supply system for starting the engines of tanks and IFVs.
Artillery reconnaissance •
PRP-4A Argus This is an optical-electronic reconnaissance vehicle. It is the most recent variant of the PRP-4 family to be in service and production with upgraded equipment. It is being supplied to the Russian Ground Forces since 2009 and it is also available for export.
Civilian tracked vehicles converted from the BMP-1 •
ATM "Berezina" (ATM stands for
avariyno-transportnaya mashina) is a decommissioned BMP-1 converted into a civilian multi-purpose emergency transport vehicle with built-up heated and glazed crew and passenger compartment sections. It is equipped with a load platform with a capacity of 500 kg. The "Berezina" was designed in the early 1990s for delivering goods and passengers to hard-to-reach places, welding in the field and towing road vehicles. •
ATM "Berezina-2" – Improved version of the ATM "Berezina" with additional repair tools and new electric welding equipment powered by a VG-7500 generator. The fuel tanks were relocated to the outside of the vehicle to save space, (for 15 passengers). The vehicle is no longer amphibious. It is produced by the 140th Tank Repair Workshop. The full weight of the "Berezina-2" is 13 tonnes.
Armenia •
BMP-1-ZU – Several BMP-1s were modified with low elevation
ZU-23-2 machine guns over the barrel replacing the missile launcher. The guns are controlled by the gunner from inside the turret, and are fed by belts that stretch around the turret. At least four conversions of this type were made, with one being captured by
Azerbaijan during the
Second Nagorno-Karabakh War.
Belarus •
BMP-1 – Is an IFV upgraded by the 140th Repair Workshop to BMP-1P status. Vehicles modernized in the 2000s are equipped with a modern gun aiming mechanism, more up-to-date sights and a semi-automatic infrared jam-resistant fire control system. •
BMP-1 – Equipped with the
2A42 Cobra overhead mount gun turret, modular, one-man turret. It is a co-operative project between Slovakia and Belarus.
China •
Type 86 – A Chinese copy of the BMP-1 (Ob'yekt 765Sp3). It is armed with an ATGM launcher for the HJ-73 "Red Arrow 73" ATGM which is a copy of the Soviet 9M14 "Malyutka". It is powered by the Type 6V150 diesel engine which is a copy of the Soviet UTD-20. Equipment includes the A-220A radio (a copy of the Soviet R-123M), A-221A intercom (a copy of the Soviet R-124), two 7.62 mm machine guns, a 40 mm rocket propelled grenade (RPG) launcher and a HN-5 or QW-1
MANPADS. Its industrial designation is
WZ-501. •
WZ-501 – Converted into an NBC reconnaissance vehicle with a raised troop compartment. •
WZ-501 – Converted into a battlefield surveillance vehicle. •
Type 86-I – Improved variant of the Type 86 designed by the Chinese together with the US FMC company at the end of the 1980s. It is fitted with a one-man overhead mount turret armed with a licensed copy of the 25 mm M242 Bushmaster autocannon and a coaxial 7.62 mm Type 59 machine gun. The overhead mount turret is the same as the one on the
ZSL92 wheeled IFV. The vehicle carries 400 rounds for the main gun and 2000 rounds for the machine gun. It is powered by a new 6V150F 29.41-litre diesel engine which is a powered-up version of the 6V150. It develops 400 hp (298 kW). Maximum road speed has increased to 70 km/h. The tracks have been slightly modified. The weight of the vehicle has increased to 13.6 tonnes. 350 were produced. Its industrial designation is
WZ-501A. It is also called
Type 86-1. •
Type 86A – Modernization fitted with a new turret armed with a 30 mm autocanon although the ATGM launcher for the HJ-73 ATGMs was retained and is positioned on the right hand side of the roof of the turret. The turret was equipped with two clusters of three smoke grenade launchers (one on each side of the turret). It is sometimes called the
Type 86Gai, G stands for Gai – improved, overall, it is broadly equivalent to a
BMP-2. •
WZ-502 – WZ-501 equipped with a mortar.
Cuba •
BMP-1 converted into a self-propelled howitzer armed with a
122 mm D-30 howitzer in an open-topped superstructure placed at the rear of the hull. •
BMP-1 converted into a self-propelled howitzer armed with a D-30 howitzer in an open-topped turret placed on the rear of the hull.
Former Czechoslovakia BMP models of
Czechoslovakia. •
BVP-1 "Strop" – A BVP-1 with the turret replaced by twin 30 mm PLDvK vz.53/59 anti-aircraft guns. Developed in the mid-1980s. It has a new commander's hatch located to the front right of a two-man turret. The turret is further to the rear than on a BVP-1 and has no hatches, so the crew enters through the rear doors. In the front and below the gun mount is the housing for the various sights associated with controlling the weapons. The
Czechoslovak Army evaluated the vehicle but did not accept it for service. Several examples were seen in use by Angolan and Cuban forces during the Angolan Civil War. •
BVP-1MA – Czech modernized BVP-1 with a German Kuka E8 one-man turret with prominent overhang on the front and eight smoke grenade launchers (in two groups, four groups on each side of the turret). It is armed with a 30 mm
Mk 44 Bushmaster II autocannon with a small circular muzzle-brake. The gunner's position is located at the rear of the turret. It has new side-skirts/mudguards. It also has additional protection and hand rails on the headlights. It has two rear-view mirrors in the front and four stop lights and two turn lights at the rear. It is also known under the designation
BVP-1MB. •
OT R-5 "Bečva" (OT R-5 stands for
obrněný transportér radiovůz – 5 – "Armored Personnel Carrier Radio Vehicle – 5") – Czech-built command vehicle with a superstructure in place of the troop compartment. It is equipped with R-130, R-123, R-173, RF-10 and RDM 61M HV/VHF radios. The main armament consist of a 12.7 mm DShK 1938/46 heavy machine gun. The crew has increased from three to five. •
BVP-1 LOS (light observation system) – Is a Czech-built reconnaissance vehicle based on the DP-90 equipped with three smoke grenade launchers on each side of the turret, GPS, a generator and a computer. It also has an elevatable telescopic mast mounted on the dummy unmanned BVP-2 turret with a day/night television camera, a laser rangefinder and a laser target marker. Antennae mounts on each side of the rear part of the hull's roof are also available. The Czech army plans to deploy these vehicles in BVP-2 companies, hence the similarity to the BVP-2. A technology demonstrator of the MGC-1 was presented by the Czech firm Excalibur Army during IDET-2011. •
BVP Šakal (also known as
MEXCA or
BVP-M2 SKCZ Šakal) – A major overhaul variant developed by Excalibur Army. Roof was raised by 15 cm, which allowed installation of addition armour to floor, fixing a major vulnerability of BMP series. Both rear doors have been replaced by a single ramp style door. Weapon Turret can be either an unmanned turret Turra-30 of Slovak-origin with 30mm auto-cannon and coaxial 7,62mm machine gun or one-man turret DVK-30 with 30mm auto-cannon and coaxial 7,62mm machine gun. Engine is Caterpillar C9.3 with 300 kW. Due to a resolution of the Czech and Slovak government to instead of modernising their fleet of BVPs, choosing to buy CV90 from Sweden resulted in only two prototypes being built. One with unmanned turret and one with manned turret.
Egypt •
BMP-1S – Is a BMP-1 fitted with a French
Poyaud 520 6L CS2
diesel engine developing at 2,800
rpm. 200 Egyptian BMP-1s were upgraded from 1979 onward.
Finland •
BMP-1 – Has six stop lights but no autoloader. •
BMP-1PS – Finland has modified all its BMP-1s and BMP-1Ps to BMP-1PS and BMP-1K1 level (q.v.). The former is similar to the original BMP-1P but has four additional 76 mm Wegmann smoke grenade launchers on the right front of the turret and two Lyran 71 mm mortars on the left rear. Both versions are without the autoloader. •
BMP-1TJ "Tuija" – Is an artillery reconnaissance vehicle. •
BMP-1TJJ – Is also an artillery reconnaissance vehicle. •
BMP-1KPD – Command vehicle. •
BMP-25 – BMP-1 with a Delco
LAV-25 -style turret mounting a 25 mm
M242 Bushmaster autocannon. Prototype only.
former East Germany •
BMP-1 SP-1 –
NVA Designation for the Soviet BMP-1 (Ob.765Sp1). •
BMP-1 SP-2 – NVA designation for the Soviet BMP-1 (Ob.765Sp2). •
BMP-1P/c – NVA designation for 151 BMP-1Ps built in Czechoslovakia. •
BMP-1P/d – NVA designation for locally upgraded BMP-1s. Externally identical to the BMP-1P/c but without the mounts for the KMT-10 mine plow. •
BMP-MTP – NVA designation for the Czechoslovak VPV armored recovery vehicle.
East Germany / Germany •
BMP-1A1 Ost – After reunification, the German
Bundeswehr modified 581 vehicles (mainly P models) to bring them up to western safety standards. The fuel tanks in the rear doors were filled with foam, new driving lights, rear-view mirrors, and MB smoke grenade launchers were fitted. The ATGM launcher was removed. It is also sometimes incorrectly called the
BMP-1A2. After disbanding of several German
Panzergrenadier-units, the
BMP-1A1 Ost were replaced with
Marder 1A3s. Some 500 were sold to Greece, a small number to Finland.
Greece •
BMP-1A1 Ost – Was exported to Greece. The vehicle has some external differences from the German BMP-1A1 Ost. 350 were purchased. they are sometimes called
BMP-1A1GR – Greece transferred 32 vehicles to the New
Iraqi army in 2006.
Hungary •
BMP-1F – Slightly modified BMP-1. It carries a reconnaissance team (3–5 soldiers) and their equipment.
India •
BMP-1 – Produced in India. It has a slightly different turret design. •
BMP-1 – Has a mount for a
Bren light machine gun on the rear of the turret.
Israel •
BMP-1 fitted with the CARDOM 120/81 mm mortar system. The turret has been removed, the mortar and the recoil system protrude from the open compartment. It was built by Soltam.
North Korea Korshun – The North Korean designation for the BMP-1.
Polish People's Republic / Poland •
BWP-1 (BWP-1 stands for
Bojowy Wóz Piechoty-1 – "Infantry Fighting Vehicle – 1") – The Polish designation for a Soviet BMP-1 (Ob'yekt 765Sp2 and later Ob'yekt 765Sp3). •
BWP-1 fitted with a 7.62 mm PK machine gun on top of the mantlet of the 73 mm 2A28 Grom low pressure smoothbore short-recoil semi-automatic gun. It is used by the Polish detachment of KFOR. •
BWP-1M "Puma 1" experimentally fitted with the Delco turret armed with a 25 mm autocannon. •
BWP-40 – It is a Polish BWP-1/
CV9040 hybrid. It combines a CV9040 turret with a BWP-1 hull. It was designed in the early 1990s. The only prototype was finished by 1993. •
BWP-95 – It is a BWP-1 fitted with an overhead mount armed with a 23 mm cannon and a recoilless rifle. It has a heavy machine gun mount with slab mantlet fitted to the turret front. There are also MB smoke grenade launchers on each side of the turret. To increase the vehicle's protection ERA was fitted to the turret front, hull front and sides. The vehicle never got past the prototype stage. •
BWR-1S (BWR-1S stands for
Bojowy Wóz Rozpoznawczy-1 Svatawa – "Reconnaissance Fighting Vehicle – 1 Svatava") – The Polish designation for the Czechoslovak BPzV "Svatava". •
BWR-1D (BWR-1D stands for
Bojowy Wóz Rozpoznawczy-1 Dowodzenie – "Reconnaissance Fighting Vehicle – 1 Command") – Polish designation for the Soviet BRM-1K. It is also known as the
BWR-1K. •
BMP-1AK – Upgraded variant with improved internal layout and additional anti-cumulative and anti-HEAT protection. It is equipped with improved night vision systems and new tactical radios.
Romania •
MLI-84 – Upgraded Romanian produced version of the BMP-1 with a new stronger engine, bigger fuel capacity and
DShK on a rotatable mount fitted on the left rear troop compartment roof hatch. •
MLI-84M1 JDERUL – MLI-84 modernization fitted with a new Israeli OWS-25R overhead mount turret armed with 25 mm
Oerlikon KBA autocannon and two 9M14-2T "Maljutka-2T" or Spike ATGMs, four 81 mm DLG 81 heat and smoke grenade launchers, and a smoke discharger.
Slovakia BMP models of
Slovakia. •
Pbv 501A Command variant. •
BMP-1U – A limited Ukrainian upgrade of the BMP-1 developed by the State Scientific and Technical Centre of Artillery and Small Arms in
Kyiv. The original turret was replaced with the new KBA-105
Shkval ('
squall') remote weapon station (RWS) which was developed for light armoured vehicles to increase their combat effectiveness. This turret system was first displayed publicly at the IDEX 2001 arms exhibition held in
Abu Dhabi, demonstrated on the wheeled BTR-3U APC. It superficially resembles the earlier Russian KBP Instrument Design Bureau TKB-799 Kliver one-man weapons station. The
Shkval RWS is built mostly from domestic components and is armed with a 30 mm 2A72 automatic cannon (or the Ukrainian-produced ZTM-1 equivalent) with 360 rounds of ammunition carried onboard and a PKT 7.62 mm machine gun (or its domestic counterpart – the KT-7.62) with 2,500 rounds of ammunition provided. Two anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) launchers were mounted on the right side of the remote turret module, capable of firing the
9M113 Konkurs missile (with a further two reload tubes carried inside) and a 30 mm AGS-17 (or Ukrainian-made KBA-117) automatic grenade launcher was installed on the left side, supplied from an ammunition box with up to 116 rounds. Additionally, a bank of six (6) defensive 81 mm smoke grenade launchers was installed on the front, lower base of the turret module. The weapons are brought on target with the OTP-20
Cyclops-1 optical and TV-based aiming complex which includes an interface for ATGM guidance. The weapons are stabilized by a new, SVWU-500
Karusel system. The entire
Shkval weapons station weighs 1,300 kg with a full ammunition load. Because the new weapons station is considerably larger than the standard BMP-1 turret and its equipment takes up more internal volume, the troop compartment was reduced with the number of dismounted infantry carried dropping from 8 to 6. The first pair of roof hatches cannot be opened. The vehicle also received minor automotive upgrades, including flotation sides-skirts/mudguards and drive sprockets and tracks from the BMP-2. These vehicles were first revealed to the public at an armed forces parade in Kyiv celebrating Ukraine's Independence Day (August 24) in 2001 with the participation of 10 of these IFVs. In 2004, state trials of the type were concluded followed by an announcement that up to 400 BMP-1s would be upgraded to this configuration and equip 3 mechanized brigades. In reality, no more than 30 BMP-1Us were ever produced, with the Armed Forces of Ukraine only receiving 12 of these vehicles. The remaining 15 BMP-1Us were sold to Georgia in an agreement signed in 2007 and delivered prior to the 2008
Russian invasion of Georgia. Nearly all of these vehicles were lost to Russia, included 5 undamaged vehicles captured by the Russians in
Gori. Three BMP-1U IFVs were sold to
Chad and participated in the fighting against Islamic militants in 2013. It is unknown if any Ukrainian BMP-1Us were used in combat between 2014 and 2021. In April 2022, Russian state media showed what was claimed to be a trophy Ukrainian BMP-1U somewhere in Crimea with a "Z" marking. The painting of this BMP-1U indicated it may have been one of the earlier Georgian trophies. •
BMP-1M (
Object 765UTB) – Evolved from the BMP-1U; unveiled in 2011. The main difference is the application of the improved KBA-105TB
Shkval-A RWS in which the Konkurs ATGM launchers were replaced with the long range Ukrainian
Barrier ATGM (effective range up to 5,000 m compared to 2,000 m for the Konkurs) and uses a new Tandem-2 sighting system and improved SWU-500-3C weapon stabilization system. The Tandem-2 sighting system uses two TV cameras: a narrow field-of-view (FOV) device called UTV (with a 6 km detection range for a tank-sized target and a 5 km identification range for the same) and a wide FOV ShTK camera which enables acquisition of tank-sized targets at 3 km. The system also includes a laser rangefinder. The TV-based system can operate in low-light conditions to some extent, but its performance is inferior to a proper thermal imaging system. This upgrade was offered by Zhytomyr Armour Plant for export customers, however, the only known client is Turkmenistan, which paraded the vehicles at a ceremony in 2016, implying the sale was never reported to the United Nation's arms control program. No details about the number of vehicles or transfer dates are known. •
BMP-1UM – A more comprehensive upgrade of the standard BMP-1 undertaken by the Zhytomyr Armour Plant and shown publicly in 2015. As in their previous BMP-1M, this vehicle features the
Shkval-A RWS, but unlike previous attempts, considerable design efforts were made into improving the power plant and hull. The 300 hp UTD-20 engine was replaced with a 3-cylinder, two-stroke 3TD-2 diesel motor making 400 hp and sharing many parts with 5TDF and 6TD series tank engines in Ukrainian service. The troop compartment layout was improved by raising the hull roof by 15 cm, and the small, un-ergonomic egress doors at the rear of the BMP-1 were replaced by a large ramp, albeit manually operated. The external hull flanks of the IFV were lined with Kontakt-1 explosive reactive armour (ERA) bricks, which is considered questionable given the thin armour plate underlying these areas. Survivability of the troop compartment was further increased by relocating the fuel tanks separating troop seating and the hull flanks, installing larger side skirts, using an aramid fibre spall liner and providing an engineered structure under the floor of the troop compartment, designed to absorb/mitigate explosions from underneath the vehicle. The BMP-1UM was also given a SN-3003 GLONASS/GPS receiver. The commander's station TKN-3B sight was also modified to allow it to receive video feed from advanced cameras on the RWS. Finally, the vehicle's thermal signature was modified/reduced by using an exhaust gas deflector along the right side of the hull. Given the increased mass of the BMP-1UM, larger track fairings were used to ensure amphibious performance. •
BMP-1UMD – A further development of the BMP-1UM from Zhytomyr Armour Plant, unveiled in 2016 at the
Arms and Security exhibition. This variant has a new RWS and engine; powered by an electronically controlled Deutz TCD2013 L64V 6-cylinder turbodiesel which produces 330 hp and is more reliable, quieter and efficient than both the UTD-20 and 3TD-2. This engine is also used in Ukraine's
BTR-4 wheeled APCs. The
Shkval-A was replaced by a new
Stylet RWS (often called a "module" in Ukrainian sources) with a fully digital fire-control system, a brand-new sight system known as
Trek-M and SWU-500-3C weapon stabilizer. The primary armament is a 30 mm ZT-2 automatic cannon (Ukrainian-made 2A42 gun), KT-7.62 coaxial MG, 30 mm AG-17 AGS and two
Barrier ATGM launchers. ERA bricks were omitted in this version, replaced by extended mesh covers along the upper hull sides. Curiously, the BMP-1UMD project made no changes to the BMP-1's troop compartment, with the original access doors and troop layout. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence did formally trial vehicles equipped with
Shkval and
Stylet RWS modules, however their results are not public and no orders were made, hinting at their less than satisfactory performance. •
BMP-1 – Converted into an ARV. •
BMP-1TS – Upgrade variant developed by Ukrainian private enterprise; Techimpex have been working on a RWS for the BMP-1 named
Spys since 2018. Its armament consists of the usual assortment of on-board weapons: 30 mm ZTM-1 automatic cannon (with 300 rounds of ammunition), KT-7.62 MG (with 350 ready rounds of ammunition and a total of 2,100 rounds carried), a 30 mm KBA-117 AGS (with 116 rounds on board, 29 ready to use) and
Barrier ATGM (four missiles carried of which two are ready to launch). The
Spys module received the
Syntez fire-control system consisting of
Kazhan-3K15 sighting complex with both thermal and optical TV cameras as well as a laser rangefinder. Combat effectiveness is enhanced with an electro-mechanical 2-axis weapon stabilization system. The advanced software used in the
Spys module allow for automatic target tracking. Its small overall dimensions mean that it is interchangeable with the original BMP-1 turret with no modifications required. The upgrade package does not include any changes to the chassis or automotive qualities of the BMP-1, and the only other addition is a Motorola DM4601 radio. Further mine and ballistic protection are only available as options. ten vehicles were ordered by the Ukrainian defence ministry and unveiled at the 2021
Independence Day parade. At least one vehicle belonging to the
53rd Mechanized Brigade was lost in the city of
Volnovakha in March during the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. ==See also==