A massive Norinco VP11 mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicle, as seen on a police equipment show in Beijing in 2012. The huge machine was parked in a tiny booth in the exhibition hall, there was barely enough space to walk around it.
Norinco is China’s largest state-owned weapon maker. The company’s full English name is China North Industries Group. Norinco makes all kinds of juicy weapon systems, ranging from armored vehicles to anti-aircraft guns to tanks to missiles. The company’s main customer is the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the umbrella name of the Chinese armed forces.
I always loved to go to police equipment shows. They always had a mix of guns, uniforms, vehicles, anti-riot gear, and police cars. It was a manly affair, with men discussing manly machinery. Up until 2008 or so, visitors could smoke inside the halls, but by 2012 smoking was not allowed anymore. There was a lot to see and a lot to do. Visitors could pick up guns, put a helmet on their head, play with a remote-controlled camera, or…
… climb into an armored MRAP. The Norinco VP11 was a China-made variant of the South African 8M, developed by EW12. Norinco and EW12 announced the deal in 2012, so when I saw it at the exhibition it was brand new. Norinco’s variant was called VP11. The car on show was painted in police-SWAT colors, as it was on a police-equipment exhibition.
However, the main intended customer was the PLA. I can’t be sure how many Norninco sold to the Chinese army, but some VP11s popped up at the Chinese-Indian border in 2018, so it seems the VP11 is indeed operational. I have never seen a police version. The VP11 seems a tad over-the-top for anti-riot duty.
The dash is truck-like, with a large-diameter steering wheel. According to the Chinese specifications, the VP11 can carry 7 soldiers, protected against attacks by landmines and roadside bombs. The main weapon is a remote-controlled weapon station that can mount a 7.62 mm or 12.7 mm machine gun. Power: 220Kw turbocharged diesel engine. The Chinese version used an engine built locally by the Dongfeng-Cummins joint venture.
In 2016, Norinco showed an export version of the VP11 at the Zhuhai Air Show. At the time, it was reported that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ordered 150 units, but it seems the deal didn’t happen.
The gentleman on the right was a Norinco salesperson, a friendly fellow, he kept a close eye on me and he tried to answer all my stupid questions.
Sadly, with the changing local and geopolitical winds, this kind of police equipment shows are rarely accessible to foreigners anymore. Fortunately, I still have a trillion photos of the shows when times were still good. More armored vehicles soon!