Burkina Faso receives Chinese armoured vehicles

One of the CS/VP14 MRAPs that was formally handed over on 6 June. (Presidence du Faso)

The National Armed Forces of Burkina Faso formally received a significant consignment of armoured vehicles in a delivery event attended by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the president of Burkina Faso, on 6 June.

The president's office released a statement saying the consignment included armoured combat vehicles that are resistant to improvised explosive devices, weapons, munitions, excavators, and trucks.

TV news coverage of the event showed 50 CS/VP14 and 40 VP11 mine-resistance ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles lined up at a base for the event, along with 17 Caterpillar excavators.

Both MRAPs are promoted by China's Norinco, which says the VP11 has a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of about 10 tonnes. The VP11 was already known to be in service in Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, and Mali. The Kenya Army was previously the only known operator of the newer CS/VP14, which is reported to have a GVW of 9 tonnes.

“This batch only represents the first delivery out of four batches, and we are basically at around 18–20% of the materiel, the rest is yet to come,” Minister of Defence Brigadier General Kassoum Coulibaly said during the handover ceremony.

A similar ceremony was held on 15 January, when at least six 105 mm WMA301 fire-support vehicles and CS/SM1 self-propelled mortars were delivered.

Brig Gen Coulibaly said this was the first of five consignments that are expected to arrive over the coming months under the strategic equipment plan announced by Traoré on 31 December 2023.

For more information on the earlier delivery, please seeBurkina Faso receives new Chinese self-propelled guns and mortars .