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Albee Zhang

The West African country of Burkina Faso has tested what observers say is a Chinese Sky Dragon 30 surface-to-air missile, in the latest sign that Chinese military equipment manufacturers are making inroads into the central Sahel state.
In footage released by the Burkinabe president’s office on Tuesday, multiple missiles were fired from a mobile launch vehicle. A matching search radar vehicle also appeared in the video.
The footage is part of a documentary series marking the fourth anniversary in power by Burkina Faso’s military leader, Ibrahim Traoré.
It did not say when the tests were carried out but this is the first time the landlocked country has shown the short-to-medium range missile system.
Song Zhongping, a Chinese military commentator and former People’s Liberation Army instructor, said that in the past countries such as Burkina Faso had relied heavily on France and the United States.
“However, they now want to break free from this dependence on Western powers, adopting an independent foreign policy while choosing self-armament,” Song said.
“By buying arms from Russia and China, they aim to build their own autonomous defence systems.”
Song, who identified the missiles in the footage as the Sky Dragon 30 (SD-30) developed by China North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco), said Burkina Faso was buying the weapons for counterterrorism and decolonisation.




First shown at the Zhuhai air show in 2018, the SD-30 has a range of 30km (18.6 miles) and is based on the PLA’s PL-10 missile.
Its multi-stage guidance architecture – combining mid-course command updates with terminal infrared imaging – extends the engagement range, enables simultaneous multi-target engagement, and provides strong resistance to electronic countermeasures, according to Chinese military magazine Ordnance Industry Science Technology.
It is designed for international buyers seeking low-maintenance, short-range point defence. Its launch vehicle could also launch a Sky Dragon 50 missile, which has a 50km range, state broadcaster CCTV reported in 2018.


Burkina Faso, a former French colony, has undergone a dramatic political and security realignment in recent years as the military government has severed long-standing security ties with France and Western allies.
Since gaining control, Traoré has strengthened relations with countries including China and Russia. China is equipping Burkina Faso’s military and positioning itself for greater influence in the Sahel.
Burkina Faso bought various Chinese equipment, including armoured vehicles and artillery and rocket systems, that has been delivered in the past two years.
Among the deliveries last year were VN22B fire support vehicles, PLL-05 120mm self-propelled gun-mortar systems and SR5 rocket launch systems, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Traoré has also strengthened military ties with Russia, making two visits since becoming president in 2022. He has yet to visit China, but the then Burkinabe prime minister, Apollinaire Joachimson Kyelem de Tambela, attended the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing in 2024.
China has also stepped up ties with Burkina Faso’s neighbours, Mali and Niger, amid waning Western influence. Mali signed a defence deal with Norinco in 2024 for military equipment and training and to transfer technology.
Norinco has established sales offices in at least four African countries as demand for its military equipment has increased in Africa.


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Chinese weapons are gaining favour as the West African country cuts ties with Western suppliers, analyst says


Chinese weapons are gaining favour as the West African country cuts ties with Western suppliers, analyst says.


In Burkina Faso, Sky Dragon 30 missiles point to China’s military export inroads

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Chinese weapons are gaining favour as the West African country cuts ties with Western suppliers, analyst says

Chinese weapons are gaining favour as the West African country cuts ties with Western suppliers, analyst says