The first domestically-made 105 mm wheeled combat vehicle "Cheetah" jointly developed by the Arms Administration and the Chinese Academy of Sciences will be officially mass-produced next year, and its performance will be demonstrated publicly for the first time today (23rd). (Photo by reporter Tian Yuhua)
[Reporter Huang Jingyi/Chiayi Report] The first domestically-made 105 mm wheeled combat vehicle "Cheetah" jointly developed by the Arms Administration and the Chinese Academy of Sciences will be officially mass-produced next year. The media was invited to watch the performance demonstration for the first time today (23rd). Compared with the D2 tank prototype, the height of the production version of the "Cheetah" tank has been reduced from 3.3 meters to less than 3 meters. Mass production next year will give priority to being equipped with a drone protective net and equipped with the same "hunter-destroyer" mode as the M1A2T tank. The Arms Administration has currently received production requirements for 178 vehicles and is expected to produce 8 vehicles next year.
The "Project Cheetah" 105 mm wheeled combat vehicle passed the Army's evaluation in 2023. From next year to 2033, a total of 178 wheeled combat vehicles will be purchased with an ongoing budget of NT$57.07156 million. Major General Chen Jianzhong, director of the 202nd Factory of the Armament Administration, stated that eight vehicles will be delivered next year.
The Armament Administration held a 105mm wheeled combat vehicle performance demonstration at the Army's Southern Test Center today. There were four demonstration subjects: "Rapid synchronized shooting on target detection" (static vs. moving), "Hunter-destroyer mode shooting" (moving vs. static), "Chariot gun slope shooting" (static vs. static), and "Multiple weapons shooting" (moving vs. moving). A total of 6 rounds of high-explosive anti-tracer bullets were fired.
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Chen Jianzhong explained that it has taken seven years to develop the 105 mm wheeled combat vehicle. The mass-produced version is an optimized version based on the army's recommendations. Compared with the static display and dynamic performance display of the D2 prototype in 2023, the configuration has been reduced by more than 30 centimeters, and the current height is about 2 meters and 95 centimeters. The actual height will vary slightly due to the air pressure of the tires, but it can be determined to be about less than 3 meters; the engine power has been increased from 450 horsepower to 600 horsepower.
Chen Jianzhong pointed out that the "Cheetah" tank meets all terrain requirements of the Army, including culverts, rugged roads, etc., and is also more convenient and flexible for subsequent urban warfare operations.
In terms of artillery, Lin Yumin, head of the artillery research and development team of the 202 Factory, explained that the 105 mm wheeled tank cannon was independently developed by the 202 Factory. From the barrel to the retractor, it was all made in China. Compared with the M60A3 tank, which has a shooting recoil of 70 tons, the wheeled tank has a shooting recoil of only 20 tons. The artillery shooting accuracy is 1,200 meters and can hit a target with a diameter of 90 cm. The armor-piercing ability can penetrate a 500mm thick homogeneous steel plate at 2000 meters.
Lin Yumin pointed out that the tank turret was developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and adopts an electronically controlled two-axis stabilization system. The turret system has the same hunter-killer mode as the M1A2T tank. When the shooter controls the main gun to aim at the first target, the commander can simultaneously search for the second target, activate the hunter-killer mode at an appropriate time, and switch control of the main gun for overshoot shooting.
The Armament Administration held a performance demonstration event for the 105mm wheeled combat vehicle at the Army's Southern Test Center today. (Photo by reporter Tian Yuhua)
In response to the threat of new drones, the Arms Administration used a video to show footage of a 105mm wheeled tank gun turret killing drones. Chen Jianzhong further explained that the remote-controlled gun tower of the tank has an automatic ballistic tracking function and has been tested to kill drones. The future combat vehicle will be equipped with a quick-detachable modular drone protective net, which can be easily opened when shooting. The specific material has not yet been determined.
Wang Jianqing, a compiler in the production room of the Army Equipment and Training Department, said that in the first phase of mass production next year, the installation of UAV protective nets will be the first priority; in the future, the gun base of the remote-controlled gun tower will be modified to be able to install chain guns or machine guns with a caliber of more than 25 mm. By then, it will be able to accommodate the M230LF chain gun currently used by Apache helicopters.
Wang Jianqing pointed out that taking the M230LF chain gun as an example, the chain gun can fire programmed bombs, has air defense functions, and can hit electronic signal tubes such as proximity bombing, air bombing, and sensor bombing. Among them, sensor bombing has the best effect. If an airframe chain gun with a caliber of 25 mm or more is used for sensor bombing, more than a hundred fragments will be formed to destroy the UAV, which is more effective than a single warhead.
The Arms Bureau also demonstrated today the ammunition that can be equipped on the "Cheetah" combat vehicle in the future, including TC113-type 105mm tail-stabilized sabot-piercing armor-piercing tracer rounds, TC113-type 105mm personnel anti-personnel rounds, etc.
The Armament Administration displayed ammunition that can be equipped on the "Cheetah" combat vehicle in the future, including TC113-type 105mm tail-stabilized discarding sabot armor-piercing tracer rounds, TC113-type 105mm personnel anti-personnel rounds, etc. (Photo by reporter Tian Yuhua)
