China obtained a small number of the Swedish-made Hagglunds Bandvagn Bv 206 tracked all-terrain carrier in the 1980s when it had a close tie with Western countries in the defence field. Some of these vehicle were handed to the PLA for tests and evaluations. The PLA currently lacks a vehicle like the Bv 206, which possesses an excellent all-terrain travelling capability. The PLA may be interested in purchasing more of this vehicle but under the current arms ban imposed by the European Union it is very difficult for a deal to go through. An alternative route is to obtain the vehicle under the commercial name such as oil exploration.
