The fortunes of a domestically developed multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) is improving, as the army has decided to buy the weapon, following its recent successful test-firing, defense officials said yesterday.
The Taiwan-made system appeared to be doomed to become a showpiece due to a lack of purchase orders from the armed forces.
The "Thunder-2000" MLRS consists of mobile rocket launching vehicles, each manned by a four or five man crew.
The system was developed by the military-run Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology in 1997 and is expected to enter mass production in the next two years, the officials said.
Roughly 100 MLRS units are scheduled to be produced for the army, which will use it to replace the aging Kung-Six multiple-barrel rocket system as its main anti-amphibious landing warfare weapon.
The Thunder-2000 was especially designed for the army, but despite its excellent performance in previous test-firings, the army hesitated to purchase the missile system.
One reason for this was a shortage of funds, which has affected the army over the past few years as the lion's share of funds went to the air force and navy for so-called "big-ticket" weapons purchases, the officials said.
The other factor affecting the army's indecision was competition from the US arms manufacturer, Lockheed Martin.
in the next fiscal year the army has been assured of a bigger portion of the weapons procurement budget, divided between the three branches of the armed services.
And, following careful consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of each system, the army has decided to buy the domestically built MLRS, rather than the US one.
The army's decision was made on Wednesday after a successful test-firing of the Thunder-2000 at a missile test site in Pingtung, southern Taiwan.
Tang had thrown strong support behind purchasing the domestically built MLRS, since it would tie in neatly with the armed forces' policy in recent years of encouraging indigenous development and production of armaments, they said.
Chang Li-teh (
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