ions ▁about ▁the ▁vehicle ' s ▁vulner ability ▁to ▁inf antry ▁anti - t ank ▁weapons ▁were ▁not ▁taken ▁into ▁consideration ▁until ▁the ▁Soviet – A fg han ▁War . ▁ ▁Ang ola ▁ ▁The ▁B MP - 1 ▁was ▁extens ively ▁deployed ▁by ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Ar med ▁Forces ▁of ▁Liber ation ▁of ▁Ang ola ▁( F AP LA ) ▁and ▁its ▁Cub an ▁al lies ▁during ▁the ▁Ang olan ▁Civil ▁War ▁and ▁South ▁African ▁Border ▁War . ▁The ▁first ▁Cub an ▁mechan ized ▁and ▁motor ized ▁inf antry ▁forces ▁to ▁be ▁deployed ▁to ▁Ang ola ▁were ▁sent ▁first ▁to ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Republic ▁of ▁the ▁Congo ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁where ▁they ▁were ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁B MP - 1 s ▁and ▁other ▁heavy ▁weapons ▁fur b ished ▁by ▁the ▁Soviet ▁government ▁for ▁the ▁F AP LA ▁war ▁effort . ▁They ▁then ▁crossed ▁the ▁border ▁by ▁road ▁into ▁Cab inda ▁Province , ▁subsequently ▁joining ▁a ▁F AP LA ▁campaign ▁against ▁the ▁Front ▁for ▁the ▁Liber ation ▁of ▁the ▁Enc lave ▁of ▁Cab inda ▁( F LE C ). ▁The ▁Cub an ▁B MP s ▁were ▁used ▁for ▁counter - ins ur gency ▁pat rol s ▁after ▁the ▁conventional ▁batt les ▁in ▁Cab inda ▁ended . ▁ ▁Until ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁F AP LA ▁lack ed ▁a ▁significant ▁mechan ized ▁inf antry ▁cap ability ▁and ▁was ▁dependent ▁largely ▁on ▁whe e led ▁A PC s ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁B TR