LONDON [MENL] -- Western firms have been helping Egypt develop a defense industry.
A new report said European companies have been transferring production lines and technology for Egypt to export a range of platforms to militaries in Africa and Asia. The report said the Egyptian exports have been bound for countries with major human rights violations, including Sudan.
The report by the Control Arms Campaign said the Egyptian Fahd armored personnel carrier was designed by Germany's Thyssen Henschel. The first Fahd prototypes were built in Germany.
"Quantity production was then taken over by the Egyptian company Kader who delivered the first production vehicles to the Egyptian Army in 1986," the report, entitled "Arms without Borders," said. "The Fahd is essentially a Mercedes-Benz truck fitted with an armored body.