Chinese Tiger 4x4 armoured vehicle for Bahamas Defence Force.

On August 23, some $1.2 million worth of military equipment, 4x4 armoured vehicle Tiger and supplies were officially handed over to the Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas from the Government of the People's Republic of China.

The Bahamas defence force receives military equipment including Tiger 4x4 armoured vehicle from China (Source: Facebook / Royal Bahamas Defence Force)

The equipment was signed over by the Chinese Ambassador to the Bahamas, Huang Qinguo, and was accepted by Bahamian Minister of National Security Marvin Dame, at a small ceremony hosted at the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Coral Harbour Base.

The equipment includes two Tiger 4x4 armored personnel carriers (APC) produced by Baoji Special Vehicles Manufacturing in Saanxi, China.

According to Bahamian Commander Defence Force, Commodore Tellis Bethel, The Bahamas has increasingly been used as a staging ground by transnational criminal groups to traffic illegal arms, drugs, and humans. The military equipment will be used for the transport and protection of Royal Bahamas Defence Force personnel in dangerous and high risk situations when countering these threats.

The equipment will also be used to assist military training and during rescue operations in times of disaster.

At Eurosatory 2012 Defence Exhibition which was held in Paris in June 2012, the Chinese defence Company Shaanxi Baoji Special Vehicles Manufacturing has introduced a new 4x4 armoured vehicle personnel carrier (APC) for the international market, the Tiger.

he Tiger APC has a crew of 2, which consists of the commander and driver, and can carry 9 fully equipped infantrymen. A small open top circular turret is mounted on the front of the crew compartment. The gunner position is fitted with a two-pieces hatch which opens on each side and provides a protection when the onboard armament is used. The turret can be armed with a 7.62mm, 12.7mm machine gun or 30mm automatic grenade launcher.