At EDEX 2018, the Egypt Defense Exhibition, the Arab Organization for Industrialization, an Egypt-based Arab military organization, has presented a new modernized version of the Fahd, an Egyptian-made 4x4 APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) under the name of Fahd-300 which has many new improvements in terms of mobility and protection.

New Fahd-300 4x4 APC Armored Personnel Carrier for police forces at EDEX 2018, Egypt Defense Exhibition in Cairo, December 2018. (Picture source Army Recognition)

The original Fahd was designed by the German Company Thyssen Henschel and produced by the by the Kader Factory for Developed Industries, part of the Arab Organization for Industrialization. The Fahd is the standard 4x4 APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) in service with the Egyptian army.

The hull of the previous model of the Fahd is of all-welded steel armour construction offering protection against firing of small arms and shell splinters. The vehicle is based on a Mercedes-Benz LAP 1117/32 truck 4x4 chassis and powered by a Mercedes-Benz OM 366 LA 4 engine mounted towards the front of the vehicle.

The new Fahd-300 has many new improvements using a new Tatra chassis offering more mobility in all-terrain conditions and powered by a Cummins engine. The Fadh-300 can run at a maximum speed of 105 km/h with a maximum cruising range of 700 km. The Fahd-300 has a new V-shaped hull design with a new armour offering more protection against ballistic and IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) threats.

The Fadh-300 is already in service with Egyptian Security Forces fitted with a one-man turret mounted on the roof of the vehicle armed with one 7.62mm machine gun. The turret is fitted with day periscopes for all-round vision with a traverse of 360° and elevation from -8° to +45°.

The Fadh-300 can accommodate 13 military personnel including driver, commander and gunner. The driver sits at the front of the vehicle on the left side with the commander to the right. Both have a large bulletproof windscreen to the front, which can be covered by a shutter hinged at the top, and a side door that opens to the front. The rear part of the hull has been raised compared to the original version of the Fahd offering more internal volume for the troop's compartment. Troops can enter and leave the vehicle via a door located at the rear of the hull, the upper part of which folds upwards and the lower part downwards to form a step.

With the Fadh-300, the Arab Organization for Industrialization will provide a new modern version of the Fahd that can be operational for the next decades according to the new threats of modern battlefield and to response to the new demands of the Egyptian armed forces and law enforcement units in its fight against terrorism.