Monday, June 29, 2015

Djiboutian Armed Forces (FAD) displayed a Norinco WMA301 Assaulter Tank Destroyer


via Janes.
The Djiboutian Armed Forces (FAD) displayed a single Norinco WMA301 Assaulter tank destroyer during the country's independence day parade on 27 June.
The Assaulter is comprised of the hull of a WZ551 6x6 armoured personnel carrier armoured with a 105 mm gun mounted in a three-person turret. It has similar firepower to a tank, but is more affordable and easier to maintain, albeit at the expense of armour protection.
The FAD does not currently have any tanks, but has Ratel-90 and AML-90 armoured vehicles that can be used in the fire-support role.
The Assaulter is already in service with Cameroon and Chad, both of which deployed them during operations against the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram.
The FAD also displayed M109 self-propelled howitzers and Cougar mine-resistant, ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles, both of which were seen for the first time in the 2014 parade.
Interesting.

If I'm not mistaken that is a new turret on that vehicle.  But what I find stunning is that the Chinese are making inroads with countries that we've had a head start in.  We had a once secret base in Djibouti and now they're parading Chinese vehicles?  Chad and Cameroon already has Chinese vehicles in service?

We're losing Africa and the SPMAGTF-CR, the Combatant Commanders In-extremis Force, and Regionally Aligned Army Brigades can't make up for a weak foreign policy.

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