The hull of the BMP-3 resembles the BMD Airborne Infantry Fighting Vehicle, and has a well sloped glacis plate with the hull sides being vertical. The new turret is in the center of the vehicle with the commander being seated on the right and the gunner on the left. There is an additional crew member to the left and right of the driver's position, each of these being provided with a roof hatch that opens forwards and a single periscope in the hull roof in front of the hatch cover. The troop compartment is at the rear of the hull with entry via two doors in the hull rear that open left and right, with the left door having a firing port. As these doors are opened steps automatically fold down. The armor of the BMP-3 is believed to be laminated aluminum, and its manufacturers claim it affords protection against 30-mm armor-piercing rounds over the 60-degree frontal arc. Over the frontal arc the turret is provided with a layer of spaced armor and mounted on either side of this is a bank of three 81 mm electrically operated smoke dischargers. Main armament of BMP-3 is a 100-mm rifled gun (2A70) which fires conventional high explosive ammunition at a maximum rate of fire of 8-10 rds/min, and the AT-10 STABBER laser-guided anti-tank guided missile. The AT-10 ATGM has a maximum range of 4000-m and is estimated as being able to penetrate a maximum of 500 mm of RHA. The 100-mm gun can also fire an HE-FRAG (high explosive fragmentation) round with a muzzle velocity of 250 m/s with a maximum effective range of 4000 m. A total of 30 rounds is carried for the 100 mm gun of which 22 are HE-FRAG and eight are laser-guided projectiles. The coaxially mounted belt-fed 30-mm automatic cannon is mounted to the right of the 100-mm gun. This automatic cannon fires three types of ammunition: armor piercing tracer, HE splinter, and splinter tracer. The gunner can select single shot, low rate of fire (200-300 rds/min) or high rate of fire (550 rds/min). Maximum effective range for engaging ground targets is 2000 m. The BMP-3 is powered by a 500 hp diesel engine coupled to a fully automatic hydro-mechanical transmission. The suspension either side consists of six dual rubber-tired road wheels with the idler at the front, drive sprocket at the rear and three track-return rollers. The suspension is adjustable by the driver to suit the type of terrain being crossed with minimum ground clearance being 190 mm and maximum ground clearance being 510 mm. The BMP-3 is fully amphibious being propelled in the water by two water-jets mounted at the rear of the hull. It is also provided with an NBC system, internal communications equipment, radios with a maximum range of 20 km and an IFF system
