Three Shrek-M armoured tactical vehicles has been delivered to the Burkina Faso’s military from Ukraine’s AutoKrAZ in a contract valued at $1.2 million.
Ukroboronservice, a media firm part of state-owned arms trading company Ukrspecexport disclosed that three Shrek-M vehicles were delivered in June this year.
The Shrek-M armoured tactical vehicle developed by Canada’s Streit Group in partnership with Ukraine’s AutoKrAZ is based on the KrAZ-5333 4×4 vehicle chassis with a blast protection V-shaped hull.
Powered by a 380 horsepower engines driving nine-speed gearboxes and weighing 19,100 kg, the Shrek-M tactical vehicles can withstand small arms and explosion up to 14 kg TNT mines under any wheel and one 7 kg TNT mine under the hull.
Its ballistic protection ratings are STANAG 4569 Level 2 ballistic and STANAG 4569 Level 2A/B mine protection.
Uniquely, the Shrek-M vehicles delivered to Burkina Faso have been outfitted with mine disposal equipment include a manipulator arm with a six metre reach. It can lift up to 300 kg and dig and grab suspicious objects. The arm is controlled remotely from inside the vehicle with the assistance of a video monitor.
The Shrek range of armoured vehicles have seen service with the United Arab Emirates, Senegal, Tunisia, Oman, Angola, Nigeria and Mali – Shrek Ones are used by the UN stabilisation mission in Mali.