Burkina Faso upgrades defence with delivery of Chinese-made armoured vehicles, artillery systems

Burkina Faso has taken delivery of a fresh tranche of Chinese-made armoured vehicles and artillery systems, a move that deepens Ouagadougou’s pivot toward Beijing’s defence industry and accelerates its drive to rapidly reconstitute combat power for internal security and cross-border operations with Sahel allies. Reports and imagery published in early August 2025 indicate the shipment includes VN22B wheeled fire-support vehicles, PLL-05 120 mm self-propelled gun-mortars, and SR5 multiple-rocket launchers (MRLs).

What arrived and why it matters: VN22B 6×6 fire-support vehicles is a modern, mine-resistant wheeled platform designed for high-mobility fire support. Its V-shaped hull and modular armour emphasize survivability against IEDs and small arms, while its remote weapon station enables accurate, on-the-move engagements. Deployed in mixed columns with troop carriers and logistics trucks, VN22B units can escort convoys, reinforce checkpoints, and spearhead quick-reaction operations in Burkina Faso’s road-bound northern and eastern theatres.

PLL-05 120 mm gun-mortars. Mounted on an 8×8 chassis, the PLL-05 combines mortar-like indirect fire with direct-fire gun capability. This duality lets Burkinabè units deliver swift suppressive fires on insurgent positions while retaining the option to engage line-of-sight targets, reducing the time and coordination traditionally needed to call in separate artillery. For a force fighting dispersed, agile adversaries, this platform tightens the sensor-to-shooter loop at battalion and brigade level.