The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have taken their toll on US artillery supplies, and the US army has put in an order for 300 million 5.56 mm calibre bullets from Taiwan.
The request has meant that the military plants that manufacture these bullets will have to step up this year's production levels from 100 million to 400 million.
The 5.56 mm bullets in question can penetrate steel helmets, and are priced at NT$7 each, compared to the NT$5 pice tag for more conventional bullets.
With shipping and insurance, the order should be worth around NT$2 billion, although final negotiations are still in process and the actual price has yet to be set.
One high ranking officer said that this order was unprecedented, and that the interest made from the deal alone would enable the plant to make a profit on the sales, even if the ammunition was only sold at cost price.
The bullets are mainly produced by the Ministry of National Defense's (MND) Plant 205 in Kaohsiung, which currently has a surplus of ammunition resulting from the lack of any major military engagement across the Taiwan Strait in recent years.
The plant has suffered from falling demand for many years now, leading to staff cut-backs, but this latest order from the US army means that the plant will be busier than it has been for quite some time.
Rifles and ammunition manufactured in Taiwan have gained an international reputation for quality at a reasonable price. There are reports that in recent years the MND has been selling T-91 rifles to Southeast Asia, Middle Eastern countries such as Jordan and a number of countries in Eastern Europe.
These inter-governmental deals have included the sale of other military equipment such as night vision goggles. In the past few days the MND has reviewed regulations governing the export of military goods in response to concerns that weapons sold abroad may fall into the hands of terrorists.
A high-ranking officer said that Vietnam has recently approached an international arms dealer to procure weapons from the Taiwanese government, but that the request had been turned down because of these very concerns.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Hualien County in eastern Taiwan at 7pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter of the temblor was at sea, about 69.9km south of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 30.9km, it said. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake’s intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County’s Changbin Township (長濱), where it measured 5 on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 4 in Hualien, Nantou, Chiayi, Yunlin, Changhua and Miaoli counties, as well as
Taiwan is to have nine extended holidays next year, led by a nine-day Lunar New Year break, the Cabinet announced yesterday. The nine-day Lunar New Year holiday next year matches the length of this year’s holiday, which featured six extended holidays. The increase in extended holidays is due to the Act on the Implementation of Commemorative and Festival Holidays (紀念日及節日實施條例), which was passed early last month with support from the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party. Under the new act, the day before Lunar New Year’s Eve is also a national holiday, and Labor Day would no longer be limited
COMMITMENTS: The company had a relatively low renewable ratio at 56 percent and did not have any goal to achieve 100 percent renewable energy, the report said Pegatron Corp ranked the lowest among five major final assembly suppliers in progressing toward Apple Inc’s commitment to be 100 percent carbon neutral by 2030, a Greenpeace East Asia report said yesterday. While Apple has set the goal of using 100 percent renewable energy across its entire business, supply chain and product lifecycle by 2030, carbon emissions from electronics manufacturing are rising globally due to increased energy consumption, it said. Given that carbon emissions from its supply chain accounted for more than half of its total emissions last year, Greenpeace East Asia evaluated the green transition performance of Apple’s five largest final
Taiwan is to extend its visa-waiver program for Philippine passport holders for another year, starting on Aug. 1, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Friday. Lin made the announcement during a reception in Taipei marking the 127th anniversary of Philippine independence and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The decision reflected Taiwan’s commitment to deepening exchanges with the Philippines, the statement cited Lin as saying, adding that it was a key partner under the New Southbound Policy launched in 2016. Lin also expressed hope
RSS