Another announcement that I might have missed before is BMP-1 from Trumpeter. Yesterday I have checked the sprue shots released on the company’s website (see here). I am much more enthusiastic about this release than the previous BMP-3 kits that Trumpeter brought us recently. I never really got to understand why did they choose this particular one from all the available versions as the first to bring to market. BMP-3 is relatively new and has not seen much of action. As far as I have heard it isn’t selling particularly well.

On the other hand, the operational life of BMP-1 and BMP-2 variants is much longer and varied. Both vehicles, apart from being used by most of the countries of the former Warsaw pact, were extensively used in Yom Kippur war and the Soviet War in Afghanistan. Number of modifications, markings and camouflage schemes is innumerable. Not talking about the weathering potential…

Given all the above it is commendable that Trumpeter is filling the gap and will bring us this vehicle in 1/35 scale. Some time ago I have attempted to build Dragon’s ancient BMP-2E. It doesn’t take long to find out that this kit is of some age and far from what is being offered these days. I guess its half-built hull is not destined to be finished…

One question that remains is what are the plans of Trumpeter. Based on the shots of the decals, the kit will offer markings for the armies of Czechoslovakia, Eastern Germany and of course Soviet one. Give the rich history of this vehicle I would doubt that Trumpeter would leave it at that. I would speculate that further version of this vehicle will follow with more attractive markings, such as from the conflicts mentioned above. This would be essentially the same strategy they followed with their T-62: first they have released the kit with plain Russian green, to be followed afterwards with versions for the Syrian and Afghan vehicles. So if you are interested in these conflicts, be patient, I bet more BMPs will be coming.

Final note: I hate to say it, but I would hope that Trumpeter has put more effort into the research of the vehicle than they did into the collection of information on it that they have on their website. It has been fully copied from the Wikipedia, word-by-word….