Fahd (armored personnel carrier)

Fahd 240/280
Egyptian Fahd 240 serving as part of UN Operation in Somalia. Note the smoke grenade launchers on the side and the firing ports.
Type	Armored personnel carrier
Place of origin	Egypt
Service history
In service	1986-present
Used by	See below
Production history
Designer	Thyssen Henschel (today Rheinmetall Landsysteme and part of Rheinmetall Defence)
Manufacturer	Kader Factory for Developed Industries
Produced	1985
No. built	Over 1,907 (all variants , most users)
Variants	Mainly Fahd 240, and Fahd 280-30. See text for extended list.
Specifications
Weight	10.9 - 12.5 tons (depending on the variant)
Length	6 meters
Width	2.45 meters
Height	2.25 meters (without towers)
Crew	2 + 10 passengers (Fahd-240), 3 + 7 passengers (Fahd-280-30)
Armor	Welded steel.
Main armament	30 mm automatic cannon 2A42 AT-5 Spandrel or AT-4 Spigot ATGM (Fahd-280-30)
Secondary armament	1-3 7.62 mm machine guns
Engine	Mercedes Benz Diesel OM 366 LA 4-Stroke turbo-charged water-cooled diesel engine 275 hp at 2,300 rpm
Suspension	4 x 4
Ground clearance	37 cm
Fuel capacity	280 liters
Operational range	700 km (on road) 450 km (cross country)
Speed	100 km/h (on road) 60 km/h (cross country)

The Fahd is a 4x4 Egyptian armored personnel carrier, designed to fit the requirements of the Egyptian Military. It replaced older APCs in Egyptian service such as the BTR-40, and the Walid (called Waleed in Egypt). It has been used by eight nations including Egypt, besides being used by the United Nations.

The flexible design of the vehicle, its high speed, maneuverability and long range, on road and off-road, makes it possible to produce various versions to satisfy various military and security purposes. Variants include the Fahd 240/280 APC, Fahd 280-30 IFV, a command post vehicle, ambulance vehicle, light armored recovery vehicle, and can be used for anti-riot purposes, mine laying and mine dispensing purposes, making it possible to form independent units capable of dealing with different threats of armor, low-flying targets, and personnel, with common repair duties, and operation. The Fahd consists of a Mercedes-Benz LAP 1117/32 truck (4 × 4) chassis fitted with an armored body. It has a usual APC configuration of placing the driver and the commander on the front, and a large box-like shape, similar to the German Fuchs.

The hull of the Fahd is of all-welded steel armor construction giving complete protection against attack by 7.62 mm caliber AP rounds and shell splinters. The vehicle is equipped with air conditioning. The driver sits at the front of the vehicle on the left side with the commander to the right. Both have forward observation via large bulletproof windows, which can be rapidly covered by an armored shutter hinged at the top, and a side door that opens to the front, featuring a window in its upper part that can also be covered by a shutter as well. Above the commander's position is a single-piece, rear-opening hatch cover. The driver has a forward-facing, roof-mounted day periscope, which can be replaced by a passive periscope for night driving. The troop compartment is at the rear of the hull with the infantry entering via a door in the rear, the upper part of which folds upwards and the lower part downwards to form a step. Over the top of the troop compartment are two rectangular roof hatches hinged in the center that can be locked vertically. The infantry sits on individual bucket seats down the center of the vehicle facing outwards. In either side of the troop compartment are four firing ports with a vision block above so that the troops can fire their weapons from within the vehicle. Either side of the rear door has a firing port with a vision block above. Optional equipment may be fitted on the vehicle, such as an NBC protection system and passive IR among others.