The BMP is a cramped vehicle and uncomfortable to operate and ride. Yet, the vehicle is advanced in a number of ways. The driver's position, though cramped (you have to carefully squeeze into it), is fairly well designed. The steering handles operate boosted steering controls, although the vehicle tends to lurch violently when turned (the light suspension makes this effect worse).
To the right, the driver's compartment.
The driver's panel includes both analogue gauges and circuit switches. The BMP-1 is equipped with an NBC overpressure system (an improvement over the BMP), which allows the crew and squad to operate inside the vehicle without wearing protective masks.
Common to most IFVs, the driver's position is somewhat isolated from the rest of the crew and passengers. This is caused primarily by both the frontal engine arrangement, and the position of the turret basket. The Bradley IFV (U.S.) and Warrior (U.K.) both have this same feature. As a consequence, and what can be seen in the photo at right, getting into the driver's position from the crew compartment is tough. Moreover, the vehicle commander/squad leader sits directly behind the driver (the handles of his optics can be seen extending downward. In the photo, the seat backs for both men are removed. At the foot of the driver can be seen the front drive axle for the sprockets
A view of the rear troop compartment of the BMP-1. This vehicle is ok, but not in excellent shape, since it received some combat damage. Troops sit on the bench in the center, facing outward toward the firing ports. The ribbed tubes hanging are part of the NBC system, but is more specifically a blower / dust separator that removes propellant gases from the compartment when weapons are fired. Behind the troop section, to the left rear, is the turret basket, while to the far left (the white section) is the main fuel tank... positioned between the eight man squad.
View inside the BMP-1 looking at the firing ports. Troops would press their helmets up against the vision blocks while trying to engage targets with their squad weapons. Anyone who has served in mechanized forces will tell you that the view through these blocks is foggy and distorted at best. More recently designed vision blocks on some western vehicles have solved the problem of distortion, and certainly the Russians could employ the same. Whether or not they can afford to do so, is another issue.
The tubes used to draw rifle gases from the crew compartment can be clearly seen.
This is the BMP gunner's position, showing clearly his 1PN22M1 monocular dual purpose sight. Early versions of this sight were infrared, but later versions are now of the passive variety, in that they amplify ambient light to highlight images.
The main gun is fed by an autoloading magazine with 40 rounds. This autoloader would later become the basis for the autoloader design on the T-64 series and beyond.
