Mali welcomes new vehicles
Some of the new armoured vehicles provided to Mali. (Photo: FAMa)
Has Mali become the first customer for the Chinese-made VN2C 6x6 armoured personnel carrier?
The Malian Armed Forces (Forces Armées Maliennes – FAMa) on 3 December announced it has taken delivery of several dozen new armoured vehicles, as it continues to battle Islamic terrorism in the country.
‘This batch of rolling stock and military equipment is equivalent to the endowment of 16 companies, or four combined arms battle groups,’ FAMa stated on its website. ‘The lot includes tactical combat vehicles, armoured vehicles, logistics trucks, [and] ambulances, among others.’
FAMa did not specify the number and type of vehicles, but Shephard Defence Insight analysis of imagery accompanying its statement suggests that among them are 4x4 tactical armoured vehicles (the Kia KM450 from South Korea, the Dongfeng EQ2050 Mengshi from China and the BRDM-2 from Russia), BTR-70 8x8 amphibious APCs from Russia and Puma M36 mine-protected vehicles.
Also pictured was what appears to be a Chinese 6x6 armoured vehicle (possibly the VN2C, making Mali the first known customer of this mine-protected export variant of the WZ551 amphibious APC).
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
![Battle management C2 systems are driving the next phase of integrated air defence]()
Battle management C2 systems are driving the next phase of integrated air defence
Battlefield and wider air defence C2 systems integrating a range of agnostic sensors have risen in prominence, from Turkey’s Aselsan developing Steel Dome to Northrop Grumman providing its own system to Poland and the US Army.
-
![How and why Europe is replenishing tube artillery in the drone warfare era]()
How and why Europe is replenishing tube artillery in the drone warfare era
Modern conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war have exposed gaps in Western artillery, with European militaries increasingly looking to invest in longer-range systems with a focus on logistics and resilience.
-
![Raytheon unveils land version of the Next Generation Jammer]()
Raytheon unveils land version of the Next Generation Jammer
The ground-based NGJ is designed to work as an “invisible shield” to protect land structures and assets. Shephard spoke with Raytheon to find out more.
-
![US Army pursues 600 ISV-Hs to boost mobility and sustainment for manoeuvre brigades]()
US Army pursues 600 ISV-Hs to boost mobility and sustainment for manoeuvre brigades
The ISV-H is likely to feature commercial solutions and advanced technologies while providing mobility, transportability and onboard and exportable power to support tactical operations.
