BMP-1

   The BMP-1 was first shown publicly in 1967 and created quire a stir in the West by its apparent combination of mobility and gun/missile firepower. Time was to demonstrate that, despite its many innovation, the BMP-1 was not the wonder vehicle it first appeared to be for its low silhouette had to be paid for by a cramped interior for the occupants and the main armament was not as powerful as was at first thought. The armament emerged as a magazine fed low velocity 73-mm gun with poor accuracy at longer ranges and a barrel-mounted 9K11 wire-guided missile with an indifferent performance-on many later models the missile was completely removed.

   But in its day the BMP-1 was the vehicle that others were measured by and the type was churned out in thousands in the former Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia.

   From those two nations sprang a whole host of variants to meet just about every combat requirement from artillery observation to armored engineering vehicle.

   Many vehicles were fitted with extra armor or had more powerful engines installed, while the Chinese produced their WZ 501 copy. BMP-1's were exported to many nations and remain in service in large numbers, having seen combat in Afghanistan, the Middle East (including the Iran-Iraq War), Chad and Angola.

   In all these areas the BMP-1 proved to be a rugged, serviceable vehicle, but the limited internal dimensions were always a drawback, despite the provision of two rear entry doors, roof hatches firing ports and other measures which made the BMP-1 a true infantry fighting vehicle.

   There have been many detail changes during the BMP-1's production life and, despite production having ceased, new variants continue to appear, one of the latest being a Czech NBC reconnaissance vehicle; many of these variants are purely local modifications to meet some local need.