Burkina Faso has bolstered its military arsenal with a shipment of Chinese-made armoured vehicles and artillery systems, a move signalling a growing shift among African armed forces toward Beijing’s defence industry.
According to Defense Blog, the delivery includes VN22B wheeled fire support vehicles, PLL-05 120mm self-propelled gun-mortars, and SR5 multiple rocket launch systems.
Footage posted online showed rows of the vehicles—painted in desert and tropical camouflage—awaiting transport to the landlocked West African nation.
The VN22B, manufactured by China’s Norinco, is designed for both urban and open-terrain operations, equipped with advanced targeting systems.
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The PLL-05 offers both mortar and direct-fire gun capabilities, while the SR5 rocket system can launch guided and unguided munitions for either precision or saturation strikes.
While Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Defence has not disclosed the financial details, analysts note that the country’s recent drop in annual arms imports—from $28 million in 2021 to $1 million in 2022, according to World Bank data—raises questions over whether the acquisition was funded through direct purchase, loans, barter, or deferred payment.
Defence Minister Brigadier General Kassoum Coulibaly confirmed that the procurement is part of a multi-phase modernisation plan, announced by junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré in December 2023, to prepare the armed forces for high-intensity operations in the Sahel.
This latest batch follows earlier deliveries of Chinese CS/VP14 and VP11 mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles in 2024, as reported by Military Africa.
Chinese armoured vehicles are already in use in Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Mali, and Kenya, with demand driven by competitive prices, rapid delivery, and flexible financing.
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Burkina Faso has also diversified its procurement sources, recently acquiring Egyptian-made Buffalo E10 MRAPs and Turkish Ejder Yalçın armoured personnel carriers.
For China, these deliveries are part of a wider strategy to deepen diplomatic and commercial ties across Africa’s security sector.
Image Credit: Janes
