Burkina Faso Conducts Target Practice With Most Weapons of Chinese Origin

Burkina Faso Armed Forces conducted target practice using Chinese artillery and missile systems.

Footage of the Chinese weapons in action was broadcast by Burkina Faso’s national television.

During the exercises, the country also publicly demonstrated for the first time an air defense missile system not previously observed in its arsenal, which is likely the Sky Dragon 30.

The footage shows live-fire exercises involving CS/SH1 122 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzers, PLL-05 120 mm self-propelled mortars, and SR-5 modular multiple rocket launchers.

The CS/SH1 is a 122 mm artillery system mounted on a 6×6 wheeled chassis, with a claimed range of approximately 22–27 km, depending on the type of ammunition used. The PLL-05 self-propelled mortar is based on an armored vehicle from the WZ551 family and is equipped with a 120 mm gun-mortar. The military also deployed the SR-5 MLRS, capable of firing various types of guided and unguided rockets.

In the second half of the video, the deployment of the radar, operators working at the command post, and the launch of a SAM from a mobile launcher are shown.

According to Janes’ assessment, the dimensions of the launch pod containers are consistent with China’s Norinco Sky Dragon 30 system.

As for the specifications published by the manufacturer, the Sky Dragon 30 missile can engage aerial targets at ranges of up to 30 km and altitudes of up to 18 km. It is equipped with an infrared homing seeker, while the system is claimed to be capable of engaging up to 12 targets simultaneously.

The footage also shows a radar identified in open sources as the IBIS-150. The radar is reportedly capable of detecting aerial targets at ranges of up to 130 km and tracking up to 144 targets simultaneously.

The public demonstration of the Sky Dragon 30 marked the first known confirmation of the system’s presence in Burkina Faso. The country had not announced its procurement officially.

Burkina Faso’s military junta has received significant batches of Chinese-made armored vehicles since 2024.