TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Cheetah armored vehicle will enter mass production next year, Armaments Bureau Director Lieutenant General Lin Wen-hsiang (林文祥) said Monday.
Two other prototypes were unveiled in 2024, but the Army requested that the vehicle height be reduced to about 2.9 meters and that internal turret adjustments be made, CNA reported. This led to the development of the current vehicle, which was showcased at last year’s Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition.
The vehicle can support a variety of missions, including reconnaissance and security. It is equipped with a 105 mm low-recoil gun, 12.7 mm remote-controlled weapon station, 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, 12-tube smoke grenade launcher, and electro-optical reconnaissance systems.
The Cheetah’s turret can hold 16 munitions, while an additional 17 rounds can be stored inside the vehicle. Its reconnaissance system supports all-weather operations and can identify vehicles at distances of 2,500 meters and personnel at 1,500 meters, according to CNA.
The turret system features dual-axis servo stabilization, allowing firing while on the move. The main gun can penetrate 500 mm steel plates at a range of 2,000 meters.
The vehicle also incorporates a hunter-killer capability similar to the M1A2T Abrams tank, helping shorten engagement times and improve attack efficiency, per CNA. It has a top speed of 100 kilometers per hour and a range of 500 kilometers.
The military plans to purchase 500 Cheetah armored vehicles and 468 scout vehicles between 2028 and 2033.
