The Hamzat Division of the Free Syrian Army unveiled the first homemade armored combat vehicle. Named al-Fahd, the vehicle was modelled after the Turkish BMC Kirpi armored vehicle.
The Hamzat Division is one of the biggest FSA formations and played a major role in the Shield of the Euphrates and the Olive Branch operations in northern Syria. Since it was formed, the group attracted technicians and experts in various areas and set up a workshop for the production of light, medium and heavy military equipment.
Saif Abu Bakr, commander of the Division, said that the military operations in which his group participated led them to focus on the production of their needs. After the workshop was expanded, a project was developed to produce an armored personnel carrier based on the Turkish BMC Kirpi armored vehicle.
Abu Bakr pointed out that the production of the vehicle took nearly a year, noting that they dedicated all their resources for the success of the project.
Al-Fahd armored APC features a four-wheel drive engine and can reach a speed of 80 km per hour in flat terrain and 30 km in rough terrain. It is six meters long, 1.75 meters wide, and three meters high.
The vehicle is equipped with an air conditioning system, a hydraulic rear door, seven firing ports, bulletproof windows, shields against light and heavy landmines, and cage armor for protection against RPG rounds.
The vehicle can carry up to 10 soldiers, including a crew of five: a commander, a driver, a gunner, a reloader, and a paramedic. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
