Syrian rebels unveil 'Mad Max-style' home-built tank

[Drache]

It may look like something out of a Mad Max movie, but this home-built tank is the latest weapon in the Syrian rebels' desperate fight against the brutal regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

The Sham II, which was cobbled together from the chassis of an old diesel car and parts salvaged from a junkyard in under a month, uses a controller from a Sony Playstation games console to aim a roof-mounted machine gun.

Inside the rusting steel panels a crew of two sit side-by-side in front of flatscreen TV's mounted on the wall.

The makeshift vehicle is now heading towards the city of Aleppo to join the rebel offensive where it could encounter fearsome T-72 tanks used by the Assad regime.

And while the Sham II would be hopelessly outclassed if it came face-to-face with one of the Russian-built T72s, it does still have a few tricks up its sleeve.

The fully-enclosed vehicle is made from light steel is about four metres in length and two metres across, mounted with a 7.62 mm machinegun controlled from inside the cabin.

t has five cameras: three at the front, one in the back and another attached to the gun.

The crew inside the cabin are fully protected, with the driver maneuvering the vehicle by watching a screen which displays video from the cameras.

The gunner, seated next to the driver, can activate the machinegun by watching another screen and using the gamepad equipped with push buttons.

The metal walls are 2.5 centimetres thick and said to be able to resist up to 23 mm cannon fire. The vehicle, however, can not withstand a rocket-propelled grenade or tank fire.

'This is my brother, a trained engineer, who got the idea. We got a car, left its diesel motor on the chassis and built the engine,' says Abud, based in a rebel command centre in Bishqatin, near the flashpoint city of Aleppo.

'Not including from the gun, the vehicle costs about $10,000,' he said.

Sham II, as the name suggests, is an enhanced version of its predecessor. The earlier model shielded the driver but the rest of the crew were exposed to enemy fire.


No game: Inside the Sham II a rebel fighter uses a control stick from a Sony PS3 games console to activate the tank's machine gun


Brothers in arms: The driver and gunner sit side by side inside the makeshift vehicle which cost an estimated $10,000 to put together


The Sham II is equipped with five cameras: three at the front, one in the back and another attached to the gun


The Sham II is reportedly en-route to Aleppo to join the rebel offensive in the flash-point city

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2245815/Syrian-rebels-unveil-Mad-Max-style-home-tank-controlled-Playstation-gamepad.html#ixzz2EgBEAsYC

[Tilar]

I guess you gotta use whatever is available to you.

[bakerhillpins]

Reminds me of the show Junkyard Wars. 

That's not to shabby for a bunch of guys who are most likely working with scrap.

[skip68]

Not bad until somebody throws a spike strip down.   

[FLG]

If they made it wireless, would be pretty cool. They might as well be on foot, that things gonna get ripped to shreds.

[hatersaurusrex]

Passenger Side Huka:  Standard Equipment

Also a little Krylon over those cameras and that thing is blind.   Better be quick on the machine gun turret, bro.

[bull]

Looks like a steaming pile of yard fudge.

[Indygenerallee]

"Look at all the guys coming at us on the screen!! Fire, fire, fire" Calm down Shamir I am playing Black Ops!!!  Looks like one RPG shy of being turned into a Toyota.

[aussiemuscle]

No game: Inside the Sham II a rebel fighter uses a control stick from a Sony PS3 games console to activate the tank's machine gun

you just need a 10yo to get the most out of it.