Taiwan’s Armaments Bureau said Thursday that its manufacturing plant in Nantou County has the capacity to produce 72 indigenous armored vehicles per year — the model known as the CM-34 Clouded Leopard.
Colonel Su Jen-pao (蘇仁寶), who heads the research and development division of the bureau’s 209th Arsenal in Jiji Township, said the plant can manufacture six CM-34 Clouded Leopards each month and has already delivered 173 of them to the military, which has ordered a total of 305.
The CM-34 is the latest variant of the eight-wheeled Clouded Leopard that entered service in Taiwan in 2019. It is equipped with the Mk44 Bushmaster 30mm chain gun, acquired from Orbital ATK, which has an effective firing range of 3 kilometers, a cruising range of up to 600km, and a maximum speed of 100km per hour, the bureau said.
The Clouded Leopard is a benchmark for the production of armored vehicles in Taiwan, considering that not many countries have the ability to go from research and development to independent manufacturing, Su said.
The Republic of China (Taiwan) has achieved that feat with a lot of team effort, he said, adding that the CM-34 annual production capacity is now up to 72.
Other variants of the Clouded Leopard — the CM-32 and CM-33 – are also currently in service in the military, both as command vehicles with enhanced communications equipment, according to the Armaments Bureau.
The bureau said it has also designed an armored ambulance and crane versions of the Clouded Leopard.
Images of the two designs were unveiled during a media tour of the 209th Arsenal. The event also showed how the armored vehicles are assembled and tested, while drawings of future versions were also displayed.
An official familiar with the matter told CNA that the two new versions will remain on the drawing board for the time being, as there is no urgent need for them in the military.
If they do become necessary, the bureau will conduct further research and development then proceed to the testing stage, the official said.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel