Azerbaijan and Türkiye Give Soviet-Origin BMP-1 Turan New Firepower Against Drones and High Targets.

Azerbaijan has upgraded its Soviet-origin BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle with a 30 mm turret, modern electro-optics, and an updated fire-control system. The BMP-1TA Turan also introduces a potential capability against small drones while extending the combat utility of the existing tracked fleet.

Developed through cooperation between Azerbaijan’s MIRAS and MKA, the local subsidiary of Türkiye’s MKE, the BMP-1TA Turan replaces the original turret with a new 30 mm weapon system and updated electro-optical and fire-control equipment. The configuration adds a much wider elevation range, improved target tracking, and potential use of airburst ammunition against small unmanned aircraft. It allows Azerbaijani forces to retain the existing BMP-1 chassis while expanding its usefulness against drones, elevated positions, and other targets outside the original vehicle’s engagement envelope.

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The BMP-1TA Turan infantry fighting vehicle displayed at ADEX 2026 in Baku combines the Soviet-origin BMP-1 chassis with a new 30 mm turret, modern electro-optics, and expanded high-angle engagement capability. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The cooperation extends beyond the vehicle itself. MKE and MIRAS had already signed a memorandum of understanding on May 6, 2026, during the SAHA exhibition in Istanbul, covering BMP-1 modernization and the integration of new turrets. At ADEX 2026, the two partners are giving concrete form to that effort with the BMP-1TA Turan. MKA’s presence in Azerbaijan also allows MKE to work directly with local industry on projects involving weapons, ammunition, vehicle-integrated systems, maintenance, and refurbishment of existing equipment.

The most visible change concerns firepower. The BMP-1’s original 73 mm 2A28 Grom low-pressure gun is replaced by a 30×165 mm 2A42 automatic cannon with a dual-feed system, allowing the crew to switch rapidly between two ammunition types. A coaxial 7.62×54 mm PK machine gun complements the main weapon. The new turret provides an elevation range of approximately -5 to +70 degrees, compared with the much more limited vertical arc of the original BMP-1. This difference directly broadens the types of targets the vehicle can engage, particularly in urban and mountainous terrain or against low-flying aerial threats.

The turret architecture can also be adapted to guns ranging from 25 mm to 40 mm. This flexibility is particularly relevant for Azerbaijan, which still operates a large inventory of equipment and ammunition based on Soviet and Russian standards. Retaining the 2A42 makes it possible to preserve part of the existing logistical environment in the near term while keeping open the option of transitioning to other calibers later. This approach avoids an immediate break with current stocks and allows modernization efforts to focus on systems that directly affect combat effectiveness.

The Turan also receives electro-optical and thermal sensors, a modernized fire-control system, improved stabilization, and target-tracking functions. These changes give the crew better day and night observation and allow more effective use of the 30 mm cannon against moving targets. The turret provides continuous 360-degree traverse, while the gunner operates through a modernized digital interface. The commander also receives sensor-derived information to improve observation and engagement management.

The counter-drone dimension is one of the more relevant aspects of the modernization. The cannon’s high elevation can be combined with airburst ammunition, although the exact fuze type and programming method have not yet been detailed. Several configurations are possible, including time-fuzed ammunition, proximity fuzes, or programmable rounds. MKE already has experience in the counter-UAS field through its TOLGA family, providing an industrial background for integrating this type of function into a turret intended for the BMP-1TA.

The configuration does not, however, turn the BMP-1TA into a dedicated air-defense system. Detection range, tracking accuracy, drone speed and flight path, as well as ammunition performance, will continue to determine which targets can realistically be engaged. It nevertheless gives mechanized units an additional option against some low-flying or relatively slow drones without requiring constant reliance on a dedicated C-UAS system. The +70-degree elevation limit is also useful against positions located on upper floors, dominant terrain, or other areas where the original BMP-1 turret’s restricted elevation reduced its effectiveness.

For Azerbaijani ground forces, the Turan therefore changes the tactical utility of an older chassis without requiring the immediate replacement of the entire vehicle. A unit equipped with this configuration retains part of its existing logistics chain and operating procedures while gaining a 30 mm cannon, thermal observation, automated target tracking, and a much broader vertical engagement envelope. The cannon’s dual-feed arrangement also allows crews to select ammunition more quickly according to the threat, an advantage when shifting from a ground target to a small aerial target.

The BMP-1TA also reflects the deepening of defense-industrial cooperation between Azerbaijan and Türkiye. Ankara is providing a solution that can be integrated into Soviet-origin equipment without requiring an immediate move to NATO standards. For Baku, this approach allows part of its existing fleet to remain in service while gradually reducing dependence on older Russian supply chains and expanding industrial links with Türkiye. If the Turan moves into serial modernization, its relevance will extend beyond its presentation at ADEX 2026 and show how Azerbaijan intends to adapt Soviet-era armored vehicles to a military environment in which drones, sensors, and rapid engagement cycles now play a central role.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests include security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.