TSAMTO, February 18. Egyptian defense columnist Mahmoud Gamal posted photos on Twitter showing the adviser to the President of Burundi inspecting a Fahd-300 armored personnel carrier with an Egyptian-made 4x4 wheel formula during his last visit to the Kader factory.
As reported by Armyrecognition.com The Armed Forces of Burundi have already received 19 units of the Fahd-300 armored personnel carrier with a 4x4 wheel formula under a contract signed with the Egyptian Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI – Arab Organization for Industrialization) in 2019. The Armed Forces of Burundi are using armored vehicles in a peacekeeping operation in Somalia.
AOI presented for the first time a new upgraded version of the Fahd armored personnel carrier under the designation "Fahd-300" at the EDEX-2018 exhibition in Egypt.
The basic version was developed by the German company Thyssen Henschel and was produced at the AOI-owned Kader factory. An armored personnel carrier with a 4x4 wheel formula was adopted by the Egyptian Armed Forces. "Fahd" is based on the chassis of a Mercedes-Benz LAP 1117/32 truck with a 4x4 wheel formula and is equipped with a Mercedes-Benz OM 366 LA 4 engine installed in the front. The body of the armored personnel carrier is all-welded from armored steel, provides protection from small arms fire and shell fragments.
"Fahd-300" is developed on the new Tatra chassis and is distinguished by a number of improvements that provide the best driving performance in off-road conditions. It is equipped with a Cummins turbodiesel engine with a capacity of 300 hp, can reach a maximum speed of 105 km / h, a fuel reserve of 700 km. The body with a V-shaped bottom provides higher protection against shelling and detonation on IEDs. Mounted on the roof of the car, the single-seat turret is armed with a 7.62 mm machine gun and equipped with day-round periscopes.
The APC is designed to carry 13 military personnel, including the driver, commander and gunner. The driver's and commander's seats of the car are equipped with bulletproof glass, which can be closed with a folding curtain. The stern of the hull is raised compared to the basic version, which allowed to increase the internal volume of the landing compartment. Landing / disembarkation of troops is carried out through a door located in the aft part of the hull, the upper part of which leans up and the lower part down, forming a step.
The Fahd-300 APC has already been adopted by the Egyptian security forces. It is assumed that AOI will be able to successfully export the new version of Fahd.