Recently, a prototype of the new 8×8 VCBR equipped with a 105 mm cannon of the Taiwan Army made its public debut during a demonstration held by the 209th Arsenal of the Armament Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense (MND). It is expected that the remaining tests will be completed in 2025, and mass production of the Wheeled Armored Combat Vehicle will begin.
This vehicle is part of a project known as “Project Cheetah,” which has developed a variant of the CM-34 “Clouded Leopard” infantry fighting vehicle, an 8×8 armored vehicle currently manufactured for the Taiwanese Army. The CM-34 itself is based on the 6×6 CM-31 designed by Timoney Technology Limited of Ireland and developed by the Ordnance Readiness Development Center.
Notably, the CM-34 is the fourth prototype of the vehicle variant that has been active and in service since 2019, already seen armed with the Mk44 Bushmaster II cannon.
For the creation of two prototypes of this new variant, the island government allocated a budget of 768 million TWD (USD 23.9 million). Additionally, it has been disclosed that USD 290 million is earmarked for the construction of the third prototype, which is expected to undergo final testing in 2025.
During this demonstration, the vehicle was put through various obstacle courses with inclines to showcase its capabilities and was also seen reaching speeds of 100 km/h.
Furthermore, it is mentioned that the new 8×8 VCBR of the Taiwan Army will have “hunter-killer” capabilities similar to the US M1A2 tank, which will also be supplied to the force soon. This allows it to engage a target while the tank commander independently detects a new target separate from the gunner. Lastly, it has been noted that the Taiwan Army will make improvements regarding the height of the vehicle and the turret it equips, in order to present a lower profile.
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