Production of the infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) variant of the 8×8 Clouded Leopard (Clouded Leopard) armored vehicle family is in progress with the 209 of the Armament Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of Taiwanth Arsenal produces 6 CM-34 vehicles per month.
The Armaments Agency told the media in a presentation in mid-June that 305 CM-34 IFVs were ordered for the Republic of China Army (RoCA), with 173 delivered since production began in 209.th At the end of 2019, Arsenal’s production facility in the central township of Jiji.
The CM-34 IFV is based on the common 6.35 m long, 2.7 m wide and 2.2 m steel hull, which is also used by the CM-32 and CM-33 Clouded Leopard Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), although the IFV variant has a taller The combat weight of the 24 tons – 2 tons heavier than its counterparts – can only be carried a maximum of 6 dismounts instead of 8 due to the penetration of the two-man armored turret.
The IFV’s primary armament is centered on the stabilized Orbital ATK Mk 44 Bushmaster II 30mm doubly-fed automatic cannon, with secondary armament consisting of a 7.62mm coaxial cannon and a roof-mounted T74 7.62mm general-purpose machine gun. The turret itself was developed by the state-run National Zhongshan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) and is capable of both day and night engagements.
As previously announced in July 2021, the 202nd Armoury, an ammunition specialist at the Armaments Bureau, won a NT$14 million contract to produce 30mm armor-piercing rounds for the new IFV.
The agency also allocated NT$768 million for the development of a new direct fire support clouded leopard with a 105mm rifled gun. Local media reported that the prototype design of the fire support vehicle will be completed by the end of 2023.
Other clouded leopard variants being developed by the 209th Arsenal include self-propelled mortar vehicles equipped with the 81/120mm mobile mortar system developed by the 202nd Arsenal.
MND also publicly demonstrated the M2 prototype developed for the next-generation 8×8 Cloud Leopard II armored vehicle for the first time at the 2019 Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition.
The prototype is the second of two Clouded Leopard II development test beds built by the 209th Arsenal in collaboration with the Industrial Technology Research Institute in Hsinchu. Both cars have been in trials since 2017. A key feature of the new car is its hydropneumatic suspension system, which replaces the double-wishbone suspension of the current CM-32 and CM-33 APCs and improves overall ride quality and responsiveness.
by Jr Ng
