TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense plans to buy 240,000 grenades for use by conscripts as Taiwan extends its compulsory military service to one year in 2024, reports said Wednesday (Aug. 30).
The military expects 9,100 conscripts under the new system next year, but by 2029, the figure could increase to 53,600, the Liberty Times reported. The expansion is likely to fuel more purchases of the relatively simple weapons needed for training.
According to government procurement data, the Army plans to spend NT$372 million (US$11.68 million) to purchase 240,000 grenades from 2024 until November 2028. The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) will supply M204A2 MK2 grenades at a cost of NT$1,550 per unit, the report said.
A previous Army contract, valid from 2021 to 2025, saw the NCSIST receive an order for 60,000 M205A2 M21 grenades. The total price tag for the contract stood at NT$90 million, or NT$1,500 per grenade.
Taiwan said in December 2022 that it would extend the conscription period from four months to one year, allowing the change to take effect in 2024.