DEFENSE/Enhanced body armor to be mass produced from next year: MND

Taipei, Oct. 9 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) unveiled new bulletproof plating on Wednesday that will be mass produced from next year for distribution to Taiwan's troops.

The new Taiwan-manufactured body armor has been developed according to Enhanced Small Arms Protective Insert (ESAPI) specifications used by the U.S. military, MND officials told a media event at the 205th Armory in Kaohsiung Wednesday.

Made from ceramic materials and polyethylene fibers and weighing 2.2 kilograms, the plating can absorb 5.8 × 42 millimeter heavy rounds used by the Chinese military, according to the MND.

This is an improvement over the protection offered against 7.62 millimeter standard caliber rounds by plating currently used by Taiwan's military, the MND said.

The protective area of the new body armor extends 25 centimeters by 30 centimeters, it added.

At the same media event on Wednesday, the MND also detailed improvements to the Taiwan-manufactured T112 assault rifle that was first unveiled last September and will be distributed to the country's troops from next year.

Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said last month that the military will procure 86,114 T112 rifles starting from next year.