Notes: The Fahd
4x4 APC was designed to meet the requirements of the Egyptian Army, and replace
several older Egyptian APCs and IFVs after Egypt and Israel made peace with
other and was able to get Western help for its defense industry.
The Fahd was designed by Thyssen Henschel of Germany under the
designation TH 390, and then built in Egypt, replacing the BTR-40, Walid, and to
an extent the BMP-1 in Egyptian service.
The Fahd is essentially a Daimler-Benz LAP-1117/32 truck chassis with an
armored body. The Egyptians had an
estimated over 1000 or so in service by 1997, plus sales to Kuwait, Oman, Sudan,
Bangladesh, Algeria, and the Congo.
Most of the 110 vehicles sold to the Kuwaitis in the 1980s were captured by Iraq
during the 1990 invasion, and subsequently destroyed during Desert Storm; almost
all of them have since been replaced, and 40 captured by Iraq were also returned
to Kuwait after Desert Storm. The
Iraqis themselves bought a quantity of Fahds from Egypt, and virtually were
destroyed during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Bangladeshi Fahds have seen combat service as part of some UN
peacekeeping efforts in various places.
Egyptian Fahds saw combat service in Desert Storm. The status of the
Sudanese and Congolese Fahds is unknown, and they may have fallen into a state
of disrepair and/or destroyed during the violence in those countries.
There are several APC-type versions, as well as some specialized variants
of the Fahd.
Fahd/Fahd 240/Fahd 280
The Fahd is
basically a large, boxlike structure, similar in appearance to the German Fuchs
or US Fox armored cars. Compared to
other vehicles of its type and class, the Fahd is lighter and less well-armored,
though some versions are much better-armed. The driver sits at the front of the
vehicle on the left, with the commander to the right; they are behind
bullet-resistant windshields, with windows on either side of their compartment.
The windshield and the windows can be further protected by a fold down
(or slide down, for the side windows) armored shutters with vision slits in
them. The driver and commander have doors to enter the cab. The driver and
commander can also get to their positions by going through the troop
compartment. Above them are hatches; the commander’s hatch is a rotating cupola
with vision blocks and with a pintle mount for a weapon.
The pintle mount normally holds a light or medium machinegun, but can
hold heavier weapons up to a 20mm autocannon. The driver has a vision block
built into his overhead hatch, which can be replaced with a night vision block.
The rear troop compartment has its troops sitting down the middle of the
compartment, facing outwards; there are four firing ports in each side of the
troop compartment, and two in the rear of the compartment. The seats are
individual bucket seats which have shock absorbing features for protection
against mines and to smooth out the ride somewhat; the commander’s and driver’s
seats are similar in construction. The troops enter the compartment through a
split rear door; the bottom half has a built-in ladder, as the Fahd’s suspension
is a bit high. The interior of the Fahd is air conditioned, but has no provision
for NBC warfare. The Fahd’s
interior has a decent amount of stowage for ammunition, troop equipment, and
weapons such as grenades and RPG rockets, and is described as being relatively
roomy. In the center of the troop compartment are a pair of roof hatches which
also have pintle mounts for weapons; a third roof hatch at the rear of the
compartment has another pintle mount. On each side of the Fahd, between the cab
and troop compartment, is a bank of three smoke grenade launchers, facing
forwards and slightly outwards.
The Fahd and
Fahd 240 are powered by a Mercedes-Benz OM-352A turbocharged diesel engine
developing 168 horsepower; this is coupled to a manual transmission.
The suspension is a 4x4 cross country suspension with large tires
designed for operation in even deep sand and to lower ground pressure for that
purpose. The large tires also allow
the Fahd to cross trenches the average 4x4 vehicle cannot negotiate. The
suspension, engine, and transmission are specially sealed against sand and dust,
and the air filtration system for the engine is also specially designed to this
end. Both pairs of wheels are
steerable. In the front of the Fahd
is a winch with a 5-ton capacity and 100 meters of cable; this is primarily
meant for self-recovery and to help recover other stuck vehicles. The Fahd is a
vehicle designed not only for desert operations, but hot weather operations.
Optional equipment (though not used by any country using the Fahd) includes a
heater, a vision block and night vision block for the commander, and an NBC
overpressure system and/or collective NBC system. Though armor is relatively
light, an appliqué armor kit has not yet been devised.
The Fahd 240 is
basically the same vehicle, but built on the newer Mercedes-Benz LAP-1424/32
chassis; engine power got a big boost, with the installation of a Mercedes Benz
OM-366 LA turbocharged diesel engine, again coupled to a manual transmission.
A slight increase in armor was also made.
This, along with the new suspension and relatively light weight, gives
the Fahd-240 good maneuverability, even in deep sand.
The Fahd 280 is
a Fahd-240 equipped with a BTM-208 turret (the same as on some versions of the
German Wiesel 1) at the front of the troop compartment, and uses a dedicated
gunner. This version has a somewhat
reduced troop-carrying capability.
The commander’s weapon is deleted, as are all the troop compartment
pintle-mounted weapons except the rear.
The Fahd 280-30 version, based on the Fahd 240, places the entire turret of the
BMP-2 atop the Fahd 240 chassis. As
such, it has all the armament and equipment of the BMP-2 turret (except NBC
protection), as well as the armor levels and an ability to take appliqué armor
packages. (Still none for the Fahd’s body, however.)
The Fahd 280-30 carries a ground mount for the AT-5 missile it carries so
they can be used away from the vehicle. The Fahd 280-30 has one less firing port
on each side, the extra ports being plated over.
Troop complement is drastically reduced to make room for the turret and
ammunition. The turret is one-man.
The commander’s pintle mount is deleted, as are the pintle mounts by the
overhead hatches on the troop compartment roof except that by the rear hatch.
Other APC-Type Versions
The Fahd 280
Anti-Riot is a police version, equipped for dealing with large riots and for
police special reaction teams. The
roof has a turret armed with a water cannon, fed by a tank with either 400
liters, 600 liters, 800 liters or 1000 liters. (The passenger complement below
is for a 400-liter tank; remove two passengers for each step upwards in water
tank capacity and add $200 and 0.2 tons to the weight, and subtract 0.1 tons
from the Load.) The water cannon fires at a rate of 180 liters per minute. The
turret is also equipped with a manually-operated grenade launcher which fires
only irritant gas or smoke. At the
front of the vehicle is a dozer blade for removing obstacles of pushing people
or cars; it is not, for example, strong enough to use against buried mines or to
dig fighting positions. The blade
is 50% likely to be hit if the vehicle is fired upon from the front, increasing
AV by 2 and making the AV into ad hoc
Spaced armor. The Fahd 280
Anti-Riot also has flashing lights, a siren, a loudspeaker, and an extra-loud
horn. Despite the name, the Fahd 280 Anti-Riot does not have the Fahd 280’s
turret armament, though the turret is the same.
The Fahd 280
Command is, as its name befits, fitted out as a command vehicle; it has map
boards, stowage for maps, plotting supplies, and office-type supplies, extra
radios (two short-range, two medium-range, and two long-range, one of which is
data-capable), a ruggedized laptop computer, and a hand-held thermal imager,
image intensifier, laser rangefinder, and several pairs of binoculars.
Despite its name, it has only pintle-mounted machineguns as armament; it
is based on the Fahd 240.
The Fahd 280 Ambulance
carries two stretcher-borne casualties and up to four seated casualties, as well
as a medic in the rear. It has the
equivalent of two doctor’s medical bags and 20 personal medical kits, as well as
an assortment of splints, cravats, and various bandages.
It has a small refrigerator for perishable medical supplies, a hot plate,
an oxygen administration set, and a defibrillator. It is unarmed, and based on
the Fahd 240.
Twilight 2000 Notes: All these vehicles were in play in the Twilight 2000
timeline, though in most countries, the base Fahds had been updated to at least
the Fahd 240 version by the start of the war.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
Fahd |
$44,052 |
D, A |
2.5 tons |
10.9 tons |
2+10 |
8 |
Passive IR (D) |
Enclosed |
Fahd 240 |
$45,301 |
D, A |
3.6 tons |
11.6 tons |
2+10 |
8 |
Passive IR (D) |
Enclosed |
Fahd 280 |
$45,484 |
D, A |
3.3 tons |
11.8 tons |
3+8 |
8 |
Passive IR (D, G) |
Enclosed |
Fahd 280-30 |
$89,543 |
D, A |
2.9 tons |
12.5 tons |
3+7 |
9 |
Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification (G) |
Enclosed |
Fahd 280 Anti-Riot |
$74,301 |
D, A |
3.4 tons |
12 tons |
3+8 |
6 |
Passive IR (D, G) |
Enclosed |
Fahd 280 Command |
$269,260 |
D, A |
1.6 tons |
12.7 tons |
2+5 |
10 |
Passive IR (D) |
Enclosed |
Fahd 280 Ambulance |
$52,097 |
D, A |
1.6 tons |
12.1 tons |
* |
9 |
Passive IR (D) |
Enclosed |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
Fahd |
134/67 |
31/16 |
280 |
85 |
Stnd |
W(3) |
HF4 HS2
HR2 |
Fahd 240 |
190/95 |
44/22 |
280 |
148 |
Stnd |
W(3) |
HF5 HS4
HR2 |
Fahd 280 |
187/94 |
43/22 |
280 |
151 |
CiH |
W(3) |
TF3 TS3
TR3 HF5
HS4 HR2 |
Fahd 280-30 |
176/87 |
41/20 |
280 |
160 |
Trtd |
W(3) |
TF6 TS3
TR3 HF5
HS4 HR2 |
Fahd 280 Anti-Riot |
181/91 |
43/22 |
280 |
156 |
CiH |
W(3) |
TF3 TS3
TR3 HF5
HS4 HR2 |
Fahd 280 Command |
173/87 |
40/20 |
280 |
162 |
Stnd |
W(3) |
HF5 HS4
HR2 |
Fahd 280 Ambulance |
182/91 |
42/21 |
280 |
154 |
Stnd |
W(3) |
HF5 HS4
HR2 |
Vehicle |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
Fahd/Fahd 240/Fahd 280 Command |
None |
None |
4xPK (C, Right/Left Side, Rear) |
2000x7.62mm |
Fahd 280 |
+1 |
Basic |
M-2HB, PKT, PKT (Rear) |
1500x.50, 1500x7.62mm |
Fahd 280-30 |
+2 |
Fair |
30mm
2A42 Autocannon, PKT, PKT (Rear) |
500x30mm, 2000x7.62mm, 5xAT-5 ATGM |
Fahd 280 Anti-Riot |
+1 |
Basic |
25mm
Water Cannon, 38mm Grenade Launcher |
Water (See Above), 250x38mm Irritant Gas or Smoke Grenades |
*See Notes for Crew and passenger figure.
Notes: The Kader
G-320 is a German Mercedes-Benz MB-320G SUV that one might say has been fitted
with a “full metal jacket” – it has been given a body of light steel armor.
Atop this armored body is a small, manually-operated turret with a
machinegun in it, and in each side are one or two firing ports.
One firing port is in the rear door.
There is a door in each side of the cab, and the driver and commander
have bullet resistant windshields and windows on their side doors.
The rear door also has a window; side windows are optional.
For all windows, armored shutters can be raised or lowered to help
further protect the vehicle. The
suspension is beefed up to accept the extra weight of armor and weapons, and the
fuel tank is also armored. Run-flat
tires are fitted, as are ABS brakes (which automatically switch off if
differential locks are engaged). The G-320 has a fully automatic transmission,
and can be switched from 4x2 to 4x4 drive on the fly, even at full speed or in
very rough terrain. The engine is a
Mercedes-Benz 210-horsepower gasoline engine. On either side of the front bumper
are mounted three smoke grenade launchers. The G-320 also has some items not
normally present on a military vehicle, such as cruise control and front and
side-curtain airbags, as well as door locks.
Unfortunately, this requires a key (which could be easily lost in a
Twilight 2000 game), to open the
vehicle as well as start it. The
G-320 can be outfitted as a basic military-type carrier or a VIP transport
vehicle with rows of seats (the most common use); in such a case, additional
side doors will be present.
Twilight 2000
Notes: During the Twilight War, G-320s were equipped with extra radios and used
as scout vehicles.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$15,769 |
G, A |
700 kg |
3.8 tons |
3+5 |
2 |
Headlights |
Enclosed |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
405/116 |
93/15 |
110 |
146 |
CiH |
W(3) |
TF2 TS2
TR2 HF2
HS2 HR2 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
None |
Basic |
PKT |
1100x7.62mm |
Notes:
The Walid (also spelled in some sources “Waleed”) is a very basic APC
designed by Kader in 1960, and which first saw combat service in the 1967 War.
The Walid was used by Egypt, but has been almost totally replaced in that
country by newer vehicles, the other major user was Sudan, and the disposition
of their Walids is unknown. Other users include Burundi and Yemen, and Israel
once employed 10 captured Walids. It is basically an armored version of a German
Magirus Deutz Unimog truck, of a type manufactured under license in Egypt at the
time. The armoring is very basic
and rather thin, and neither the troop compartment nor the cab has any overhead
protection other than a canvas cover.
There are three firing ports in the sides and two in the rear, but these
are simple shutters covering holes in the body and not more complex APC/IFV-type
firing ports. The troops enter and
exit by climbing over the sides or rear; the cab has doors on each side.
The rear face has a spare tire mounted on it. The driver and commander
sit behind a bullet-resistant windshield; an armored shutter with vision slits
in it can be lowered over the windshield to increase protection.
The side cab doors open outwards at the top to give the commander and
driver more vision, but do not have windows.
The tires have a central pressure regulation, but are not run-flat.
The commander has a pintle mount for a weapon; additional pintle mounts
around the troop compartment are optional. Suspension is a 4x4 off-road-type,
and the engine is a 168-horsepower diesel.
Twilight 2000
Notes: Walids were still in heavy use by Egypt in the Twilight 2000 timeline,
primarily as reconnaissance vehicles.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$12,737 |
D, A |
2.8 tons |
9.2 tons |
2+8 |
6 |
Headlights |
Open |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
150/75 |
34/18 |
260 |
85 |
Stnd |
W(3) |
HF3 HS3
HR2 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
None |
None |
PKT (C) |
1000x7.62mm |