02 April 2024
by Kapil Kajal
A 5.56 mm XT112 assault rifle prototype showcased at TADTE 2023. The rifle has a firing range of 600 m. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)
The Republic of China Army (RoCA) has granted the permission to produce a new direct fire support variant of the Cloud Leopard 8×8 wheeled armoured combat vehicle (ACV) and a new 5.56 mm assault rifle called XT112, Taiwan’s state-owned Central News Agency (CNA) reported in late March.
According to the CNA, the ACV – fitted with a 105 mm gun – passed initial combat readiness testing with the RoCA in October 2023, while the XT112 assault rifle succeeded in this testing in November 2023. The testing has paved the way to mass production of both, the CNA report added.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) follows a five-step process to develop weapons. These steps comprise an initial conceptual design stage, an engineering development stage, initial weapon testing, combat readiness testing, and the production stage.
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