The FAP 2026 is a general purpose off-road lorry made by Fabrika automobila Priboj in Serbia. The six-wheel-drive vehicle was designed to carry personnel, weapons and materials of up to 6 tonnes and to tow weapons and trailers weighing up to 7.2 tonnes for the Yugoslav People’s Army.
FAP 2026 at a glance
| Maker | Fabrika automobila Priboj, Yugoslavia |
|---|---|
| Type | general purpose off-road lorry, 6×6 |
| In service | 1978–1994, small series in the 1990s |
| Payload | up to 6 t total weight |
| Towing | up to 7.2 t |
| Engine | Mercedes-Benz OM 402 V8 diesel, 6,370 cm³ |
| Power | 205 kW (279 hp) at 2,200 rpm |
| Torque | 1,100 N·m at 1,200–1,600 rpm |
| Gearbox | 16-speed synchromesh |
| Cab | short tipping cab, two seats |
The English article on the FAP 2026 is the main source; the Serbian article on the BS/AV variant and the FAP company articles add production and service details.
History of the FAP 2026
A class created by a 1965 army study
In 1965 the Department for Traffic of the Federal Secretariat of People’s Defense set up a team to analyse the unarmoured vehicles of the Yugoslav People’s Army. The study found 129 different vehicle marks made up of 320 types in service and proposed reducing them to five classes: a 0.75-tonne 4×4 car, 1.5-tonne and 3-tonne 4×4 and 6×6 trucks, a 6-tonne 6×6 truck and a 9-tonne 8×8 heavy off-road truck. The 1.5-tonne and 3-tonne classes were built by TAM, while the 6-tonne 6×6 was given to FAP. Its first vehicle of the class was the FAP 2220, produced mainly for sections of the PM M71 pontoon bridge and the prototype series of the M-77 Oganj rocket launcher.
The Mercedes-based 2026
The new model, designated FAP 2026 BS/AV, was developed during the late 1970s and entered service in 1978. It was based on the Mercedes-Benz NG and used the OM 402 eight-cylinder, four-stroke, water-cooled diesel, a result of the licence agreement under which FAP had been building Mercedes-Benz trucks. The type was mass-produced for the Yugoslav People’s Army from 1978 until 1994, and several small series were assembled during the 1990s after the break-up of Yugoslavia. The FAP 2228 was later developed on the same vehicle architecture.
Variants and military work
The standard FAP 2026 BS/AV has a short cab and a standard cargo bed and carries 20 soldiers plus two crew with equipment; it also tows artillery and anti-aircraft weapons. The BDS/AVG has a longer cab and cargo bed and works with the PM M71 floating bridge as a tractor for tugboats. The BDS/A, also with a longer cab, served as the template for other military bodies, among them section carriers for the PM M71, the M-77 Oganj launcher, the M-85 Žirafa mobile radar and a fire engine. The standard BS/AV was also used as a platform for a well drill and for the SORA 122 mm self-propelled howitzer.
Across the Gobi Desert
The endurance of the FAP trucks was tested in the Gobi Desert during the 1995–1996 Putevi sveta (“On Pathways of the World”) expedition. A FAP 2026 GC/B 6×6 with a body built in collaboration with Ikarbus travelled from Priboj through Belgrade, Moscow, Ulaanbaatar and Beijing and returned through Dalyan and Belgrade; the winter journey was completed in 139 days.
Design and features
- Mercedes-Benz OM 402: a naturally aspirated V8 diesel of 6,370 cm³ giving 279 hp at 2,200 rpm and 1,100 N·m of torque from 1,200 to 1,600 rpm.
- Six-wheel drive: three axles, a two-speed transfer box with a direct on-road ratio and a 1:1.6 reduced off-road ratio, and tyres whose pressure could be adjusted to the terrain.
- 16-speed gearbox: the 16MS-120 synchromesh unit, rated at 1,200 N·m, with a power take-off for the winch.
- Winch: 86 m of 16 mm rope with a towing force of 100,000 N on the first drum winding.
- Military cab: a short tipping cab built of construction metal with two seats, an opening roof hatch and heating from the engine.
FAP 2026 versions
- FAP 2026 BS/AV: the standard vehicle with a short cab and cargo bed for 20 troops.
- FAP 2026 BDS/AVG: longer cab and cargo bed, used with the PM M71 floating bridge to tow tugboats.
- FAP 2026 BDS/A: longer cab, the basis for the M-77 Oganj launcher, the M-85 Žirafa radar and other military bodies.
- FAP 2026 GC/B 6×6: the expedition vehicle of 1995–1996 with an Ikarbus body.
- FAP 2026-based specials: a well drill and the SORA 122 mm self-propelled howitzer.
The 2026 grew out of the FAP 2220, the first FAP 6×6, and it served alongside the older FAP 1314. More vehicles are in the FAP collection.
Video: FAP 2026 6×6
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- FAP 2026, English Wikipedia: development, variants, technical data, operators
- ФАП 2026 БС/АВ 6 x 6, Serbian Wikipedia: development from the 2220, Mercedes-Benz NG basis, production
- ФАП, Serbian Wikipedia: Putevi sveta expedition, factory history
- Fabrika automobila Priboj, English Wikipedia: Mercedes-Benz licence, Putevi sveta expedition
