The development of two domestically made military vehicles is on schedule, the Ministry of National Defense said on Sunday, responding to questions by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers.
Initial weapon testing was completed in June on a prototype of the eight-wheeled Clouded Leopard armored vehicle that is fitted with locally produced 105mm assault guns, the ministry said in a statement.
Initial system integration on a reconnaissance vehicle prototype was completed on Friday as scheduled, the ministry said, adding that it expects it to clear its initial weapons testing phase before the end of March next year.
Photo: Hsu Chao-hsuan, Taipei Times
Before a new weapon is allowed to enter mass production, it must pass five development stages: initial conceptual design, engineering development, initial weapon testing and combat readiness testing.
The statement was issued after a group of KMT lawmakers suggested freezing part of the ministry’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2023, as they said the two projects had been delayed and significant changes had been made to the original plans.
The ministry had aimed to fit the Clouded Leopard armored vehicles with foreign-made gun barrels, but later decided to use Taiwan-made barrels, the lawmakers said.
The ministry said that it had to choose domestically made barrels because a private foreign contractor had failed to deliver two barrels on schedule.
The contract was terminated, and the contractor was fined and barred from applying for military tenders, the ministry said.
The domestically made barrel has 60 percent less recoil than those currently in use, it previously said.
The military plans to mass produce 282 next-generation Clouded Leopard armored vehicles fitted with locally produced 105mm assault guns from 2024 to 2036.
It is also planning to mass produce more than 300 reconnaissance vehicles to replace its Humvees by 2024.
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