The Armament Bureau of Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense revealed the latest prototype of its D2 eight-wheel drive armored combat vehicle on Tuesday.
This advanced model features a 105mm tank gun, hunter-killer capabilities, a 360-degree surround view, and a top speed exceeding 100 km/h, according to a statement from the Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C.
The D2 is built on the eight-wheeled Clouded Leopard platform but is equipped with a 105mm assault gun, similar to that equipped on the U.S.-made Abrams tank. The vehicle successfully passed 91 tests last August during its initial operational evaluation but still has areas needing improvement, such as its height and turret configuration.
The D2’s gun can fire armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot rounds capable of penetrating 500mm thick steel plates from 2000 meters away. This ammunition is compatible with Taiwan’s M60A3 and CM11 tanks, enhancing logistical efficiency.
This isn’t even its final form, but the latest D2 prototype of the wheeled armored vehicle with a 105mm tank gun from our armament bureau already checked the boxes on our army’s wishlist, including hunter-killer capacity, 360-degree surround view, and a top speed of over 100 KM/h pic.twitter.com/Cr68IbEAgc
— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) June 27, 2024
The Ministry has approved funding for a new D3 prototype, allocating NT$170 million ($5.25 million) for an improved turret and NT$120 million for the vehicle body. The D3 prototype is expected to be completed by 2025.
