A newly relocated military arsenal in Kaohsiung has significantly improved its safety management and production capacity through the use of automated systems, as part of the military’s ongoing efforts to bolster its indigenous defense capabilities, the arsenal’s chief said yesterday.
Major General Huang Chiao-chan (黃教展), head of the 205th Arsenal of the Ministry of National Defense’s Armaments Bureau, spoke during a media tour of the arsenal, the first of its kind since the arsenal was relocated from its former site in Kaohsiung’s Cianjhen District (前鎮) to the current location in Dashu District (大樹).
Founded in 1945, the Armaments Bureau’s 205th Arsenal has been responsible for producing infantry arms of calibers below 40mm for Taiwan’s armed forces.
Photo: Aaron Tu, Taipei Times
Under Kaohsiung’s “Asia New Bay Area” project, which aims to transform the city’s old industrial areas into new industrial, exhibition and cultural sites, the arsenal completed its relocation to two bases in Dashu District by the end of last year.
Asked about the relocation, Huang said the new facilities underwent a comprehensive upgrade, including the integration of smart technologies and automated management systems.
These improvements mitigate security risks that were associated with the old facilities, and also provide a better working environment and living quarters for military personnel, he said.
Huang said the 205th Arsenal is primarily responsible for the research, development and production of small arms of 40mm caliber or smaller, as well as ammunition, explosives and combat gear.
Its products include the T75K3 9mm semi-automatic service pistol, T75 5.56mm light machine gun, T74 7.62mm medium machine gun, T90 .50 BMG heavy machine gun, and T75 20mm autocannon.
One of the arsenal’s top priorities is the T112 assault rifle.
The latest generation of the domestically developed assault rifle was designed and developed by the bureau starting in 2020 and passed acceptance trials in late 2023.
The army purchased an initial batch of 25,000 T112 rifles last year. The ministry has allocated NT$8.1 billion (US$257.5 million) to purchase a total of 86,114 T112 rifles from last year to 2029, with all to be produced by the 205th Arsenal.
The latest-generation rifles are to be used by Taiwan’s combat units, replacing the older T91 rifles, the ministry said.
During the tour, reporters were also shown the T112 manufacturing process.
According to Colonel Lin Wei (林威), an official at the 205th Arsenal in charge of rifle production, the arsenal is capable of manufacturing all six key components of the rifle itself: the barrel, bolt carrier group, upper and lower receivers, firing pin and bolt release.
Other components are manufactured by local suppliers, he said.
The new factory’s production line is equipped with robotic arms and an automated management system to reduce manpower requirements and improve quality, Lin said.
The ministry’s Armaments Bureau is one of the two major weapons manufacturers for the armed forces.
In addition to the 205th Arsenal in Kaohsiung, the bureau operates three other arsenals in Taiwan: the 202nd Arsenal in Taipei’s Nangang District (南港), which produces weapons systems with calibers larger than 40mm; the 209th Arsenal in Nantou County, which manufactures armored vehicles; and the 401st Arsenal, which produces optoelectronic equipment and surveying systems.
The other major weapons manufacturer for the armed forces is the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, which is responsible for producing missile systems.
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