CM-32 Armoured Vehicle

CM-32
CM-32 Armoured Vehicle (mobile-gun platform variant)
Type Armoured vehicle
Place of origin Taiwan (Republic of China)
Production history
Designer Ordnance Readiness Development Center and Timoney Technology Limited
Designed 2002
Manufacturer Ordnance Readiness Development Center
Unit cost US$2 million
Produced 2007
Specifications
Weight 22 tonnes
Length 7 m
Width 2.7 m
Height 2.23 m
Crew 2 + 8 passengers
Armor 12.7 mm AP front arc, 7.62 mm AP all around
Main
armament
 30 mm Bushmaster II chaingun, 40 mm automatic grenade launcher, 105 mm rifled gun, or 120 mm mortar
Secondary
armament
 Type 74 7.62 mm machine gun (co-axial)
Engine Caterpillar C12 diesel, 450 hp
Suspension 8×8 wheeled
Operational
range
 800 km
Speed 120 km/h

The CM-32 "Clouded Leopard" (雲豹裝甲車 "Yunpao"), officially Taiwan Infantry Fighting Vehicle (TIFV), is an eight-wheeled armoured vehicle currently being produced for the Republic of China (Taiwan) Army. It is based on the 6x6 CM-31 designed by Timoney Technology Limited of Ireland and is further developed by the Ordnance Readiness Development Center.[1]

According to the Taipei Times, it was named after the clouded leopard to show that the vehicle is "agile and swift".[2]

Design and development

CM-32 APC ver.

The project was launched in 2002, at a cost of NT$700 million (US$21.9 million).[2]

Mass production started in 2007, with an initial order for 600 units. It is estimated that up to 1,400 CM-32s may end up being in operational service.[3] The armor of the CM-32 provides protection of 7.62 mm AP rounds, while the frontal arc withstands 12.7 mm AP rounds. NBC protection and fire suppression systems are also standard. The V-shaped hull provides protection from landmines and can withstand 12 kg of TNT under any wheel.

The CM-32 is armed with a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher and a 7.62 mm co-axial machinegun, both mounted in a remote weapons station, in its basic APC form. An infantry fighting vehicle variant with a two-man turret is also slated for mass-production in the near future; the Delco LAV-25 turret was tested on the first two prototypes but was not adopted on ground of cost and marginal firepower advantage compared to foreign vehicles; instead an indigenous turret armed with a 20 mm T75 revolver cannon was planned in the interest of getting the IFV into service as quickly as possible, and a prototype was demonstrated in 2009. It was hoped that any deficiency in terms of firepower can be alleviated by adopting the cannon to use the Mk 244 Mod 0 APDS ammunition already being ordered by the Republic of China Navy alongside the Phalanx Block 1B weapon systems, but issues with barrel life proved insurmountable, and in the meantime the 30 mm Bushmaster II chaingun was ultimately chosen instead and will be acquired from Orbital ATK.[4] A prototype turret built on this definitive requirement was spotted in May 2015 and unveiled to the public in August 2017.

In addition to the infantry carriers, other planned variants include command vehicle, NBC reconnaissance vehicle, mortar carrier (can be configured with either an 81 mm or 120 mm mortar), and assault gun (armed with a 105 mm rifled gun).

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Defence & Security Intelligence & Analysis - IHS Jane's 360". Janes.com. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Thumbs-up for new armored vehicle". Taipei Times. January 12, 2005. Retrieved June 4, 2007.
  3. ↑ "Taiwan To Begin Mass Producing Armoured Vehicles: Jane's". SpaceWar.com. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  4. ↑ Yeo, Mike (2 October 2017). "Taiwan to acquire Orbital ATK cannons for local vehicle program". Defense News. Melbourne. Archived from the original on 3 October 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.

Sources

Media related to CM-32 Yunpao at Wikimedia Commons

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