The FReeper Foxhole's TreadHead Tuesday - The BMP Infantry Fighting Vehicles - Jul. 13th, 2004

www.fas.org ^

[SAMWolf]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.

...................................................................................... ...........................................

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BMP-1

The Bronevaya Maschina Piekhota (BMP-1) was first built in the early 1960s and seen in public in November 1967 at a Red Square parade. It was called the M-1967 and BMP by NATO before its correct designation was known. The BMP represented an important shift from the concept of an armored personnel carrier to an armored infantry combat vehicle, combining high mobility, effective anti-tank weapons, and armored protection for carrying troops. The BMP is significantly smaller than Western APCs and has considerably greater firepower. The BMP-1 was innovative in that it allowed the infantry being carried to fire their personal weapons from within the vehicle whilst remaining protected by armour. To do this firing ports and vision devices were provided for each infantry soldier. Thus the BMP became the first Infantry Combat Vehicle. The BMP-1 carrys a crew of three to eight. The BMP replaced the BTR-50P and complements the BTR-60PB in first-line motorized rifle units.


BMP-1

A combination of effective antitank firepower, high mobility, and adequate protection made the BMP a formidable addition to the inventory of Soviet motorized rifle units. Designed to suit the demands of high-speed offensive in a nuclear war, it carries a 73mm, 2A20 gun with maximum rounds of 40 and maximum range of over 7,000 ft. Its 73-mm main gun fires a rocket-assisted, fin- stabilized HEAT projectile with an effective range of 800 meters medium (capable of successfully engaging tanks at ranges up to 1,300 meters) and is equipped with an automatic loader. The main armament of the BMP1 is unusual, in that it fires the same ammunition as the RPG-7 infantry rocket propelled grenade launcher. A launching rail for the AT-3 Sagger antitank guided missile is located above the gun for longer range antitank capability (up to 3,000 meters).



The BMP is a fully armored amphibious infantry combat vehicle (AICV). Its low silhouette hull has a sharp sloping front with a conspicuously ridged surface. A centrally located, extremely flat, truncated cone turret mounts a 73-mm smoothbore gun and a 7.62-mm coaxial machine gun. A launching rail for SAGGER missiles is attached above the gun. The 290 hp, water-cooled, 6- cylinder diesel engine is located at the right front, while the driver's hatch is at the left front, directly in front of the commander's hatch which mounts an IR searchlight. The gunner's hatch is on the left side of the low turret roof. To the rear of the turret there are four large hatches in the roof of the troop compartment, as well as two large exit doors in the rear. There are four firing ports in each side of the troop compartment and one in the left rear door. The suspension has six unevenly spaced road wheels of the PT-76 type, with three track support rollers and a front drive sprocket.



The BMP is amphibious, propelled through water by its tracks rather than using the waterjet propulsion of the PT-76, and has the range and speed necessary to keep up with the fast-moving tanks it normally follows in offensive formations.

The BMP has a three-man crew, including the vehicle commander, who becomes the squad leader when the infantry passengers dismount through the rear exit doors. However, vision blocks and firing ports in the sides and rear of the troop compartment allow the infantrymen to fire assault rifles (AKM or AK-74) and light machine guns (PKM or RPK-74) from inside the vehicle on the move. The troops also carry the RPG-7 or RPG-16 AT grenade launcher and the SA-7/ GRAIL or SA-14 SAM, either of which can be fired by a passenger standing in a rear hatch. When buttoned up, crew and passengers have NBC protection in the pressurized and filtered hull, which allows them to operate regardless of the outside environment.



The BMP is equipped with an infrared searchlight, periscopes, and sights for night operations and has a capability to make its own smoke screen by injecting diesel fuel into the exhaust manifold.

Because of the extreme vulnerability demonstrated by the BMP in the 1973 Middle East war, there has been extensive debate in the Soviet Army as to how this vehicle should be used in battle. The BMP has relatively thin armor (maximum thickness 19 mm in the hull, 23 mm in the turret) which provides protection against .50 caliber armor-piercing rounds only over the 60° frontal arc, and the vehicle is extremely vulnerable to ATGM and tank fire. Due to the compactness of the vehicle, critical areas such as the engine compartment and ammunition storage area (on the right side), fuel cells (in the rear doors), and the troop compartment are located in such a manner that penetration anywhere on the vehicle normally will result in a mobility, firepower, or personnel kill.



Because of limited capability to depress the main gun, the BMP is unable to engage tanks and APCs from good hull-down positions, and so is very vulnerable to enemy fire when it exposes itself to engage targets.



Although the turret can traverse 360 degrees, the main gun and coaxial machine gun must be elevated to clear the IR searchlight on the commander's cupola, creating a dead space for both weapons between 10:00 and 11:00 o'clock. This limitation could be a serious problem during an engagement since an automatic cutoff on the electrically operated turret halts movement until the gun is elevated.



The BMP can maintain its top speed (70 km/h) for only short periods of time because of the high amount of vibration and the possibility of transmission failure. Due to the complicated loading mechanism and the lack of stabilization, it is not possible to accurately fire the 73-mm gun or the coaxial machine gun while on the move over rough terrain. The BMP must be stationary when firing and tracking the SAGGER ATGM. The SAGGER is difficult to reload and cannot be reloaded at all under NBC conditions. The land navigation system must be zeroed every 30 minutes.

[Light Speed]

Allthough their are many dark appearences in America..this is much Light....the Blessing is working...itself a forging fire.

THIS IS..should read .."Their is"

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks PE.

Staff Sgt. Allan Walker

[snippy_about_it]

PUNishment of the the day...
A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion

LOL.

[snippy_about_it]

. Point out the lice in his beard to make him feel self-conscious.

ha ha!

[E.G.C.]

Thanks for asking. He's doing much better. He still doesn't quite have all the energy he had but he's been out in his garden the last few days picking some stuff to send to my Aunt and Uncle who live in the same town.

The pills for his mild nausea seem to be working pretty good. They make him sleepy but they work well.

[snippy_about_it]

This is good news. Thanks for the report. Continued prayers.

[snippy_about_it]

Say, that'd be a handy option for those folks that tailgate you.

Now that would be neat. btw- ewwww on your tagline. ;-)

[snippy_about_it]

Nice post Light Speed. Good morning.

[snippy_about_it]

Yet, all the details are unknown and the whole matter seems to be still cloaked in mystery.

This would be good news. Keep us informed. Good morning Matt.

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks for the update on your dad. It's good he can get out to the garden.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks for keeping us updated on Sandra's and your situation. I'll keep both of you in my prayers. Sandra's attitude will be a big factor in her recovery, keep encouraging her.

[Valin]

There'll be some good ones coming up.

Back tonight.

[SAMWolf]

Say, that'd be a handy option for those folks that tailgate you

What you don't have one? My 11 year old Toyota must have had one, but I never knew how to get it to work before. All of a sudden it works great but I don't know how to shut it off now. ;-)

[SAMWolf]

Morning Light Speed.

[Valin]

There are more and more frequent voices in the press that the US Army wants to install a top-secret(?) newest anti missiles system

There are some thing we don't really need to know.
Loose lips sink ships

[SAMWolf]

Morning Matt. Not familiar with the Finnish "Patria".

Hopefully, we'll see more cooperation both militarily and commercially between our two countries.

Patria Hägglunds AMOS

Turret
Weight 4400 kg
Traverse range ± 360º
Elevation range -3º - +85º
Traverse and elevation electrical / manual mechanism
Crew 2 + 1
Ammuniton
(total on-board) 84 rds HE and 6 rds
smart guided ammunition

Main armament
Mortars 2 x 120 mm smootbore
Barrel length 2 x 3000 mm
Loading system automatic
Recoiling system hydro-pneumatic
Secondary armament machine gun,
smoke launchers

Performance
Time to fire < 30 sec
Time to scoot < 10 sec
Max. rate of fire 26 rds / min
First 4 rounds < 8 sec
Range > 10 km
Multiple rounds
simultaneous impact
(MRSI) up to 14 rds

High rate of fire due to double barrel concept

Direct fire capability

Rapid deployment due to instrumentation for vehicle location and attitude; well suited for shoot & scoot tactics

Ballistic protection against infantry weapons and splinters

Muzzle blast and NBC protection

Low chassis loads due to recoiling mechanism; suitability for both wheeled and tracked chassis

Suitability for all standard 120 smoothbore mortar ammunition as well as smart guided ammunition

Full 360° traverse without limitations due to turret mounting and recoil mechanism

[Professional Engineer]

1928 Bob Crane Waterbury Ct, actor (Hogan's Heroes)