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. The BMP-1 was the world's first mass-produced infantry fighting vehicle (IFV).

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 armoured personnel carrier to an armoured infantry combat vehicle, combining high mobility, effective anti-tank weapons, and armoured protection for carrying troops.

It was a revolutionary design combining the properties of an armoured personnel carrier (APC) and a light tank. The Soviet military leadership saw any future wars as being conducted with nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, where unprotected infantry would soon be either killed or incapacitated by radiation or chemical and biological agents.

A vehicle like the BMP would allow infantry to operate from the relative safety of its armoured, radiation shielded interior in contaminated areas and to fight alongside it in uncontaminated areas. It would increase infantry squad mobility, provide fire support to them, and also be able to fight alongside main battle tanks.

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.