TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The military’s D3 armored vehicle prototype, known as the “Cheetah,” is expected to complete operational testing by the end of June.

If the prototype successfully passes evaluations, it could be included in the defense ministry’s 2027 budget, Liberty Times reported. Once the budget is approved, mass production can begin.

The Army will likely initially purchase 178 vehicles but may order up to 350 later on. The Armaments Bureau has proposed developing variants based on the D3 prototype.

The armored vehicles would be first deployed to Kinmen to replace the Army’s ageing M41D light tanks.

The Cheetah uses an all-new second-generation hull. Its height was reduced from 3.3 meters to about 2.9 meters, and its ammunition capacity has been increased from 25 rounds to 33 rounds.

It is armed with a 105mm low-recoil main gun, a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, and a 12.7mm remotely controlled gun. It also has a 12-tube smoke grenade launcher.