BMP-1 vs Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier)

FORCETALLY

Loading the evidence…

Preparing your view.

AArmoured vehicles

BMP-1

Infantry fighting vehicle Armoured personnel carrier

Credit

One half 3544 · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified

Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) — licensed reference photograph

BArmoured vehicles

Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier)

Armoured personnel carrier

Credit

Max Smith · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

BMP-1Length

6.735 m

Length source ↗

Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier)Length

5.476 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

BMP-1larger figure on 2 of 5

Length+23%
Mass+5%

Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier)larger figure on 3 of 5

Width+1%
Height+25%
Speed+44%

Measured figures

Head to head

15 of 45 rows sourced on both sides

6.74m

5.48m

Length+23%

All recorded figures & sources

6.735 m

Length

Single source

6.735 m (22 ft 1.2 in)^[source]

5.476 m

Length

Single source

Configuration

Details

BMP-1 and Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) configuration
Specification	BMP-1	Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier)
Type	Infantry fighting vehicle Armoured personnel carrier^[source]	Armoured personnel carrier^[source]
Place of origin	Soviet Union^[source]	China^[source]
In service	1966–present^[source]	—
Used by	See Service history^[source]	—
Wars	See Service history^[source]

Designer	Pavel Isakov (Design Bureau of the ChTZ )^[source]	—

Designed	1961–1965^[source]	—

Manufacturer	Kurganmashzavod (Soviet Union) ZTS Detva (Czechoslovakia) See also Production history section for details.^[source]	618 Factory / Norinco^[source]

Produced	1966–(production in the Soviet Union ended in 1982 or 1983) 2026–(production to restart in Slovakia between 2026 and 2027)^[source]	—

No. built	More than 20,000 of all variants (Soviet Union) More than 3,000 of all variants (PRC) 18,000 (Czechoslovakia) ≈800 (India)^[source]	—

Variants	BMP-1, BMP-2 , MLI-84 , Boragh ; see also BMP-1 variants .^[source]	—

Armor	6–33 mm (0.24–1.30 in) welded rolled steel^[source]	14 mm maximum, welded steel^[source]

Main armament	73 mm 2A28 Grom smoothbore gun (40 rounds) 9M14 Malyutka ATGM (4 rounds)^[source]	Type 54 12.7 mm machine gun^[source]

Secondary armament	7.62 mm PKT coaxial machine gun (2,000 rounds)^[source]	—

Power/weight	22.7 hp/tonne (17.0 kW/tonne)^[source]	—

Suspension	torsion bar^[source]	torsion bar^[source]

Ground clearance	370 mm (15 in)^[source]	—

Fuel capacity	462 L (102 imp gal; 122 US gal)^[source]	—

Former operator · Albania	—	Albania^[source]

Former operator · Bangladesh	—	Bangladesh^[source]

Former operator · China	—	China^[source]

Former operator · Iraq	—	Iraq^[source]

Former operator · Tanzania	—	Tanzania^[source]

Former operator · Zaire	—	Zaire^[source]

Former operator · LTTE	—	LTTE^[source]

Role	—	Chinese armoured personnel carrier^[source]

Source measurement	—	The hull is made of welded steel, and provides protection against small arms fire. The vehicle carries a maximum of 15 including crew, which depending on the particular configuration may be two or four, the rest of the passengers are infantry who sit in a compartment at the rear of the vehicle. The driver sits in the front left of the hull, and has a single piece hatch, which opens to the left. The driver is provided with two day periscopes which cover the front and right of the vehicle. One of the drivers periscopes can be replaced by a night vision device. The commander sits on the front right of the hull, and has a single piece hatch which opens to the right. The commander hatch has a periscope on the top surface that may be rotated through 360 degrees. Export variants of the vehicle with BF8L engine did away with the commander's position in the front right of the hull. Behind the driver, on the left side of the hull is a third crew position, which is provided with a hatch that opens to the left, and like the commander's position has a 360-degree rotating periscope.^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Description; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage The engine sits to the right rear of the driver. It has a large intake located in the top of the hull, with an exhaust on the right hand side. The engine is either a Type 6150L 260 hp diesel engine or, on export versions, an 8-cylinder air-cooled, turbocharged diesel engine KHD BF8L 413F which develops 320 horsepower at 2,500 rpm. The engine feeds a manual transmission with five forward gears and one reverse gear. Track is driven at the front by a drive sprocket, and passes over four rubber-typed road wheels, then loops over an idler at the rear, before returning to the front again. No return rollers are fitted, the track rests on the top of the road wheels. Suspension is of the torsion bar type. The vehicle has a fuel capacity of 450 litres, which gives it a road range of around 500 kilometers.^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Description; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage A 12.7 millimetre calibre machine gun is located in an open mount at the front of a small hatch in the center of the hull which opens into the troop compartment. The gun can traverse through 360 degrees and can be elevated to an angle of 90 degrees. Two roof hatches and a large rear door provide access to the troop compartment.^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Description; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Type 531 (1963 or 1961 ) – Basic version with Type 56 7.62 mm machine gun, not mass-produced.^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Variants; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Type A531 or Type 63 (1968 or 1963 ) – Production variant with 12.7 mm machine gun Type 54, uprated engine and different transmission. Also known as Type 531A . VTT-323 – North Korean version of the Type A531.^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Variants; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Type WZ701 – Command version of the Type A531 with higher troop compartment and fitted with up to five radios (Type 889, Type 892, Type 70-2B) and a generator. Armament consists of a Type 56-1 machine gun of 7.62 mm.^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Variants; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Type WZ302 or Type 54-1 / Type 63-1 SPH – Self-propelled artillery version of the Type B531 mounting a 122 mm Type 54-I howitzer . An improved version, the Type 70 , has a longer chassis. Both vehicles also mount a Type 67 machine gun .^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Variants; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Type WZ303 or Type 70 MRL – Rocket artillery version of the Type A531 with 19-tube 130 mm multiple rocket launcher (similar to the BM-14 MRL).^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Variants; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage SPAAA Type WZ531 - ZSD63 with PG87 25mm dual barreled AA gun.^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Variants; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Type YW531C (1982) – Export version of the 531 series with German Deutz engine KHD BF8L of 320 hp (240 kW). The machine gunner's position front right was deleted.^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Variants / Export; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Type YW304 – Self-propelled 82 mm mortar with 120 rounds, based on the Type YW531C/Type 531H.^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Variants / Export; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Type YW381 – Self-propelled 120 mm mortar with 50 rounds, based on the Type YW531C.^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Variants / Export; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Source measurement

—

The hull is made of welded steel, and provides protection against small arms fire. The vehicle carries a maximum of 15 including crew, which depending on the particular configuration may be two or four, the rest of the passengers are infantry who sit in a compartment at the rear of the vehicle. The driver sits in the front left of the hull, and has a single piece hatch, which opens to the left. The driver is provided with two day periscopes which cover the front and right of the vehicle. One of the drivers periscopes can be replaced by a night vision device. The commander sits on the front right of the hull, and has a single piece hatch which opens to the right. The commander hatch has a periscope on the top surface that may be rotated through 360 degrees. Export variants of the vehicle with BF8L engine did away with the commander's position in the front right of the hull. Behind the driver, on the left side of the hull is a third crew position, which is provided with a hatch that opens to the left, and like the commander's position has a 360-degree rotating periscope.^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Description; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

The engine sits to the right rear of the driver. It has a large intake located in the top of the hull, with an exhaust on the right hand side. The engine is either a Type 6150L 260 hp diesel engine or, on export versions, an 8-cylinder air-cooled, turbocharged diesel engine KHD BF8L 413F which develops 320 horsepower at 2,500 rpm. The engine feeds a manual transmission with five forward gears and one reverse gear. Track is driven at the front by a drive sprocket, and passes over four rubber-typed road wheels, then loops over an idler at the rear, before returning to the front again. No return rollers are fitted, the track rests on the top of the road wheels. Suspension is of the torsion bar type. The vehicle has a fuel capacity of 450 litres, which gives it a road range of around 500 kilometers.^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Description; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

A 12.7 millimetre calibre machine gun is located in an open mount at the front of a small hatch in the center of the hull which opens into the troop compartment. The gun can traverse through 360 degrees and can be elevated to an angle of 90 degrees. Two roof hatches and a large rear door provide access to the troop compartment.^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Description; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Type 531 (1963 or 1961 ) – Basic version with Type 56 7.62 mm machine gun, not mass-produced.^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Variants; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Type A531 or Type 63 (1968 or 1963 ) – Production variant with 12.7 mm machine gun Type 54, uprated engine and different transmission. Also known as Type 531A . VTT-323 – North Korean version of the Type A531.^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Variants; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Type WZ701 – Command version of the Type A531 with higher troop compartment and fitted with up to five radios (Type 889, Type 892, Type 70-2B) and a generator. Armament consists of a Type 56-1 machine gun of 7.62 mm.^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Variants; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Type WZ302 or Type 54-1 / Type 63-1 SPH – Self-propelled artillery version of the Type B531 mounting a 122 mm Type 54-I howitzer . An improved version, the Type 70 , has a longer chassis. Both vehicles also mount a Type 67 machine gun .^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Variants; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Type WZ303 or Type 70 MRL – Rocket artillery version of the Type A531 with 19-tube 130 mm multiple rocket launcher (similar to the BM-14 MRL).^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Variants; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

SPAAA Type WZ531 - ZSD63 with PG87 25mm dual barreled AA gun.^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Variants; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Type YW531C (1982) – Export version of the 531 series with German Deutz engine KHD BF8L of 320 hp (240 kW). The machine gunner's position front right was deleted.^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Variants / Export; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Type YW304 – Self-propelled 82 mm mortar with 120 rounds, based on the Type YW531C/Type 531H.^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Variants / Export; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Type YW381 – Self-propelled 120 mm mortar with 50 rounds, based on the Type YW531C.^[source]Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier) · Variants / Export; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Country of origin	—	China^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 2, row 17, cell 2; revision 1375827363; retrieved 2026-10-01

Reported operators	—	Reported operator · Iraqi Kurdistan Reported operator · Myanmar Reported operator · North Korea Reported operator · Pakistan Reported operator · Sri Lanka Reported operator · Sudan Reported operator · Vietnam Reported operator · Zimbabwe Reported operator · Australia