Taiwan's new armored vehicle makes live-fire media debut

Tainan, Sept. 23 (CNA) The Ministry of National Defense on Wednesday gave the media its first live-fire demonstration of the 105 mm mobile gun system, a domestically developed and produced armored vehicle that is scheduled to enter mass production in 2027.

During the demonstration at an Army training area in Tainan, the vehicle hit moving and stationary targets at ranges of 1.2 km and 1 km, respectively.

It also fired at stationary targets positioned 90 degrees to the side of the vehicle while positioned on a gentle slope, showcasing the system's stability in challenging battlefield environments.

The demonstration culminated with the vehicle's onboard 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun firing simultaneously with its main gun to simulate repelling amphibious combat vehicles.

The demonstration showed that the vehicle can provide continuous firepower against multiple targets, according to the Armament Bureau's Arsenal 202, which is responsible for developing the vehicle's ammunition and barrel.

The second round initially failed to fire, prompting the crew to follow safety procedures by waiting for two minutes before reloading it to avoid a possible detonation.

The vehicle then fired normally.

Maj. Gen. Chen Chien-chung (陳健中), head of Arsenal 202, said his team would investigate the cause of the apparent misfire to help improve the system.

Chen said 178 vehicles are planned, with mass production scheduled to begin in 2027.

He said the vehicle's height has been reduced by around 30 cm from that of the prototype displayed at the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition in 2023, reducing its overall height to 3 m.

Its turning radius has also been reduced from 11 m to 9 m because it can steer using three pairs of wheels, one more pair than the prototype, according to Arsenal 202.

Chen said the changes make the vehicle particularly well suited to Taiwan's environment, including its many culverts and urban areas, as well as the challenging terrain of Hualien and Taitung counties.

Counterdrone upgrades planned

Military officers said the vehicle is expected to receive further upgrades when it enters mass production, including capabilities intended to counter drones.

Chen said an anti-drone cage would be fitted to protect the vehicle against incoming drones.

Another planned upgrade involves equipping the vehicle with machine guns or chain guns of at least 25 mm caliber, such as the 30 mm M230 chain gun, according to a source familiar with the matter.

"The ammunition will likely consist of canister shots, which would explode into more than 100 shrapnel pieces once fired through a 25 mm-caliber barrel, increasing the chance of neutralizing drones compared with single warheads," the source said.

"Countering drones is our top priority, especially quadcopters and small drones," the source added.

The military also displayed ammunition developed specifically for the vehicle, including armor-piercing, anti-personnel and practice rounds.

According to Arsenal 202, the main gun can also fire any general-purpose ammunition developed for 105 mm tank guns.