The military junta in Burkina Faso has taken delivery of a large quantity of Chinese-manufactured armored vehicles.
According to official information, the military junta in Burkina Faso has received delivery of at least 100 Chinese-manufactured armoured vehicles, including 50 Norinco CS/VP14 MRAPs, 30 Norinco VN22 6×6 wheeled armoured fighting vehicles, and 10 Norinco CS/VN9 6×6 armoured personnel carriers. Other vehicles received are; 90 Shacman H3000 6×4 trucks and tankers, and 45 Shacman H3000S 6×4 tractors manufactured by Shacman, which is a prominent Chinese vehicle manufacturer.
The Norinco CS/VP14 MRAP can withstand a 10-kg anti-tank mine under any wheel and can resist 7.62×51 mm gunfire from up to 30 metres. It has a total combat weight of 9 tonnes.
The Norinco VN22 has a heavily armoured hull that can resist 25 mm shells at the front and 14.5mm projectiles elsewhere. It can hold up to 9 infantrymen and is armed with a 30 mm automatic cannon and two Red Arrow 73D anti-tank missiles.
The Norinco CS/VN9 can withstand 12.7 mm bullets from 200 metres and can transport up to six paratroopers. It is also equipped with a 30 mm automatic cannon for self-defence.
These vehicles provide a comprehensive variety of capabilities including mine protection, fire support, anti-tank capabilities and of course troop transport, further indicating a shift towards a much more modern military for Burkina Faso since their military coup.
Over the years, Beijing’s approach to supporting Burkinábe military has been to provide a variety of equipment to the African nation’s armed forces, with a focus on improving and increasing the number of wheeled armored combat vehicles.
These new vehicles joins several other batches received earlier, like in October 2024, at least 20 VN-22 infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) arrived Ghana’s Tema seaport from China heading to Ouagadougo. Burkina Faso versions are equipped with a 30 mm autocannon. This is also be part of this recent haul from China.
Also, earlier in January 2024, the National Armed Forces of Burkina Faso took into service a significant consignment of armoured vehicles from China, in a delivery event attended by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the president of Burkina Faso.
The Chinese equipment includes six WMA301 fire-support vehicles, which are armed with 105 mm guns and made by Chinese company Norinco. Eight CS/SM1 self-propelled mortars, which use a Dongfeng light tactical vehicle as a platform and have a caliber of 81 mm. These are the first of their kind to be seen in Africa.
In addition, Burkina Faso acquires 60 mm WW90 mortar, mortar rounds, and rounds for RPG-7-type recoilless guns. According to Minister of Defence Brigadier General Kassoum Coulibaly, this was the first of five consignments that are expected to arrive over the coming months under the strategic equipment plan.
In June 2024, 50 more CS/VP14 and 40 VP-11 mine resistance ambush protected (MRAP) were delivered to Burkina Faso from China.
Similarly, Burkina Faso acquired a batch of mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles from Egypt in January 2024. The vehicles are the Buffalo E10, an improved version of the Temsah-2, which is Egypt’s flagship locally produced armored vehicle.
