AL FAHD

FROM the INTERNET, DJ re-prints characteristics
of SAUDI ARABIA's first wheeled armoured vehicle

The Al Fahd is the first armoured vehicle designed and built in Saudi Arabia. It is an 8 wheeled armoured vehicle. Wheels were selected rather than a tracked system because they provide better manoeuvrability and higher road speeds. The vehicle is available in two variants: the AF-40-8-1 Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) and the AF-40-8-2 Armoured Fighting and Reconnaissance Vehicle (AFRV).

AF-40-80-2 ARMOURED FIGHTING AND RECONNAISSANCE VEHICLE

The armoured fighting vehicle accommodates a crew of four. The engine is located at the rear of the vehicle.

WEAPON SYSTEMS

The vehicle can be equipped with a turret for the installation of 105 mm low recoil weapons on the AFRV and 40mm weapons on the personnel carrier.

VEHICLE

The Al Fahd is equipped with a 12 cylinder 550 horsepower Deutz air cooled engine. A water cooled engine is an available option. The vehicle has a ZF 6WG-200 powered gearbox by Zahnradfabrik Passau GmbH. The unit is of layshaft design with hydraulically actuated multi-plate clutches engaging the gears, and a hydrodynamic torque converter as the starting device. The parallel layshafts are located below one another giving a drop drive with outputs to the front and rear axle sets.

The final drives consist of hull-mounted ZF BK-DU centre drives with through drive for axles 2 and 3, and ZF BK centre drives for axle 1 and 4. Drive is transmitted from the centre drive units to ZF RP-3000 planetary wheel heads mounted at the end of the suspension arms.

The driver's station is equipped with a suite of day and night vision periscopes. Day and night vision scopes can also be fitted to the crew stations.

For use on prepared roads, only the middle 4 wheels are powered and steered, and the maximum speed is 90 km per hour. 550 litres of diesel fuel are carried, giving a maximum range of 600 kilometres.

ROUGH TERRAIN PERFORMANCE

The chassis, engine, transmission, suspension and levelling system are designed to provide a high level of performance for crossing rough and variable terrain. For travelling across rough terrain, the drive and powered steering are applied to all 8 wheels.

The vehicle's levelling system operates in both manual and automatic mode. The vehicle is able to negotiate slopes up to 80%, side slopes to 55% and natural and engineered trenches to 2500 mm and 2000 mm.

The vehicle's suspension system is a combined nitrogen gas spring and hydraulic damping system. Over very rough terrain and in negotiating large obstacles, the combined gas and hydraulics suspension system provides a very smooth and comfortable ride. For weapon firing a series of valves on the nitrogen gas system is closed to provide a firmer hydraulic suspension system. Once the main weapons are discharged the nitrogen gas system is reinstated into the vehicle suspension system and the vehicle is ready to proceed across the rough battlefield terrain.

AMPHIBIOUS OPERATION

An hydraulic amphibious system is available as an option. The maximum amphibious speed is 8 km per hour. The hull is water-sealed and airtight.

PROTECTION

The construction of the hull incorporates high alloy single steel sheets together with layers of multi- Kevlar material for extra protection against anti-personnel ammunition. Air-conditioning together with nuclear, chemical and biological filtering are fitted as standard. A manual fire fighting system is fitted and an automatic system is optionally available.

AF-40-8-1 ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIER

The Armoured Personnel Carrier variant, model AF-40-8-1, has the capacity to carry 11 equipped troops plus the driver. The position of the engine in the APC is at the front instead of at the rear of the vehicle. A large ramp door (which is not fitted on the fighting vehicle variant) at the rear gives access to the troop compartment.

The APC can be equipped with a turret for weapons up to 40 mm calibre, and also an optional number of firing ports can be installed.

The fuel capacity of the two vehicles is the same. The smaller engine, the Deutz 10 cylinder, 400 horsepower engine, combined with a lower operating empty weight and combat payload, gives a 800 km cruising range, which is 200 km further than that of the fighting vehicle.

The Alfahd is the first armoured vehicle designed and built in Saudia Arabia. It is a 8 wheeled armoured vehicle.	The vehicle is able to negotiate natural and engineered trenches to 2500mm and 2000mm
Al Fahd is able to negotiate side slopes to 55%	Al Fahd can both climb and descend gradients of 80%
A hydraulic amphibious system is available as aa option. The maximum amphibious speed is 8 kn per hour. The hull is water sealed and air tight.
Wheels are selected rather than a tracked system because they provide better manoeuvrability on both roads and rough terrains.	Over very rough terrain and in negotiating large obstacles, the combined gas and hydraulics suspension system provides a very smooth and comfortable ride.