Burkina Faso buys AutoKrAZ Shrek-M armored vehicles from Ukraine.

Burkina Faso’s army has taken delivery of several Shrek-M mine detection and disposal vehicles from Ukraine’s AutoKrAZ, DefenceWeb reports.

Shrek-M mine detection and disposal vehicle (Picture source: Streit Group)

Three vehicles were delivered in June 2018, via Ukroboronservice, which is part of state-owned arms trading company Ukrspecexport. The vehicles have been outfitted with mine disposal equipment that includes a manipulator arm with a 6-metre reach. It can lift up to 300 kg and dig and grab suspicious objects. The arm is remotely controlled from inside the vehicle with the assistance of a video monitor. The Shrek-M is manufactured by KrAZ and based on the 4×4 KrAZ-5233 vehicle chassis, which features a V-shaped hull for blast and landmine protection.

AutoKrAZ said the vehicles were delivered to an “African country”. The company said that “representatives of the customer several times visited AutoKrAZ: first, they got acquainted with the lineup of serial and advanced KrAZ vehicles, performance capabilities and technical characteristics. When the production was completed during the pre-shipment inspection all vehicle systems were properly tested and approved by [the] customer.”

The vehicles for Burkina Faso are powered by 380 horsepower engines driving nine-speed gearboxes. The 19,100 kg Shrek-M vehicles are armored against small arms, grenade fragments, improvised explosive devices and landmines (two 14kg TNT mines under any wheel and one 7kg TNT mine under the hull) and feature STANAG 4569 Level 2 ballistic and STANAG 4569 Level 2A/B mine protection.

The Shrek-M was developed by Canada’s Streit Group in partnership with Ukraine’s AutoKrAZ. The Shrek One armored personnel carrier has been exported to countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Senegal, Tunisia, Oman, Angola, Nigeria and Mali – Shrek Ones are used by the UN stabilisation mission in Mali.

Streit and KrAZ co-produce a number of armored vehicles, including the Spartan, Hurricane, Raptor, Cougar, and Fiona.