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The close-quarters urban fighting environment experienced by America and its Allies after the 2003 invasion of Iraq shed a spotlight on the need for modern survivability solutions for infantrymen beyond that as was offered by the ubiquitous HUMVEE line. This resulted in a concerted effort on the part of military vehicle manufacturers to delivery what came to be known as "MRAPs" ("Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected") vehicles - trucks with enhanced protection capabilities including specialized hull and chassis design, run-flat tires, and improved armor. China has taken to these lessons itself and, with the help of the experienced MRAP experts of South Africa, put forth a line of in-house MRAPs all its own, resulting in such types as the NORINCO CS/VP3 series 4x4 vehicle.

NORINCO is a Chinese defense powerhouse responsible for delivering on many of its military designs concerning infantry-level small arms and Army-centric armored vehicles. It is an acronym for "China NORth Industries COrporation".

Mobile Land Systems (MLS) of South Africa first received the MRAP contract in November of 2010 calling for as many as 10,000 vehicles to be secured for the Chinese military who sought a mine-protected vehicle to keep pace with global rivals - namely the United States. Poly Technologies of China then teamed with Changan Industries to help bring the vehicle to the local market and early forms were built from South African-supplied kits that were then assembled by Changan in China.

In the CS/VP3, a proven, fully-suspended 4x4 all-wheeled arrangement is used. True to its South African roots, its hull is of the "V-shape" pattern to deflect under-vehicle blasts away from the occupants and key mechanical drive components of the truck, enhancing its battlefield survivability in contested environments. Beyond this mine-resistant quality are bullet-resistant windows giving protection from both small arms fire and artillery spray. The truck is equipped with a diesel-fueled engine and provides the vehicle with an road operating speed up to 65 miles-per-hour with a range out to 500 miles depending on load. With its inherently high suspension, cross-country travel is also possible.

The truck takes on a conventional appearance with the engine housed in the bow. Aft of this is the side-by-side driving section leading the spacious passenger area seated over the rear of the chassis. The roadwheels are well-spaced at each corner of the frame. A spare tire is carried over the rear right side wall. Windows span the front, sides, and rear of the hull for excellent situational awareness. A complete fire suppression system is included as are creature comforts such as air conditioning. Road weight is 16.5 tons while structural dimensions include a length of 7.58 meters, a beam of 2.45 meters, and a height of 3.25 meters (with turrets installed).

Beyond the driver, an additional eleven occupants can be carried in the standard internal configuration.

Inherent versatility also means that the base chassis can be converted to perform other critical battlefield roles including fast reconnaissance / scouting, Command and Control (C2), and MEDEVAC. There is a limited water-fording capability built into the truck's design.

Beyond China, Nigeria and Uganda are a known global operators of the CS/VP3 series of MRAP.

China has been operating the vehicle in its UN mission to Mali. These have been fielded with additional protection measures including mesh screens over the windows, headlamps, and sides of the hull, a slatted grille extension component, side hull bulges, roof-mounted interference poles, and a pair of roof-mounted / machine gun-equipped machine gun armored emplacements (these seated in line) - all intended to protect the occupants from guerilla-style attacks, hidden explosives, and rocket assaults. Armament options include both 7.62mm and 12.7mm machine gun types as well as 30mm/40mm Automatic Grenade Launchers (AGLs) to defend against - or root out - enemy elements.©MilitaryFactory.com

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