Lohr Fardier
The Lohr Fardier, introduced in 1976, is a French light general purpose 4x4 vehicle, capable of being transported by air, developed by Lohr Industrie for use by airborne troops.
History
This light 4x4 vehicle was developed by SOFRAMAG for the French Army airborne troops, which used 300 of these. Two versions were produced: FL 500 and FL 501, the latter with a 36 hp engine.France has replaced its FL 500/501 with the Auverland A3F fast attack vehicle; while it can't be assured whether the vehicles supplied to Spain and Tunisia are still in service.
Description
It has a chassis built of welded tubes, with the cargo area at the back, the engine in the middle and the driver at the front left. Each axle has a transmission unit, with coil-spring suspension. Each rear wheel has an independent parking brake, while brakes in all 4 wheels are with discs. The vehicle has a dual lighting system for full lighting or for reduced "convoy" lighting.The FL 501 can tow up to 800 kg, a typical cargo is a 120 mm mortar. Other loads include communication equipment, general cargo, or up to 2 stretchers.
It can be air transported either by cargo plane or by helicopter:
- A C-130 Hercules or C-160 Transall can carry up to 6 for air-dropping, or up to 12 as general cargo
- A Puma helicopter can carry a FL 500/501 and a 120 mm mortar.