The "anti-epidemic hero" MD-105 heavy-duty disinfection vehicle is about to be replaced. The national army will spend 929 million to buy 72 new vehicles.

The MD-105 heavy-duty disinfection vehicle currently in service in the national army has been in service for more than 10 years and will be replaced by new vehicles in the future.

In response to wartime nuclear, biological and chemical threats, as well as contingency needs such as major disasters and epidemics in peacetime, the Chinese military will replace the MD-105 heavy-duty disinfection vehicles that have been in service for more than 10 years and played an important role in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. According to the Ministry of National Defense's budget for next year, the National Army plans to invest a budget of 929.427 million yuan from 2027 to 2030 to purchase 72 "multi-functional heavy-duty disinfection vehicles." The new vehicle emphasizes a high degree of automation, mobility and operational flexibility. It can perform decontamination of personnel, equipment, vehicles and buildings, and enhance the nuclear, biological and chemical protection and sustained combat capabilities of the chemical force.

According to the budget document of the Ministry of National Defense, the Army's active heavy-duty disinfection vehicles were purchased in 2016 and have been used for more than 10 years. Therefore, it is planned to purchase new equipment for replacement. The Army will allocate 51.859 million yuan to purchase 4 vehicles for the first time next year, adding 24 vehicles in 2028, 12 vehicles in 2029, and 20 more vehicles in 2030, for a total of 60 vehicles. As for the 12-vehicle difference between the total 72 vehicles and the 60 vehicles deployed by the Army, the budget document has not yet stated the allocation units.

It is worth noting that the MD-105 heavy-duty disinfection vehicle currently in service of the Chinese army uses the Italian IVECO chassis, is equipped with about 3,500 liters of water tank and pharmaceutical equipment, and is equipped with vehicle-mounted nozzles and manual spray guns, which can perform decontamination of roads and large areas of the environment. According to the Executive Yuan's 2021 nuclear accident response inventory data, the national army deployed a total of 40 heavy-duty disinfection vehicles at that time, each of which could clear approximately 1,730 square meters at a time; however, there is no latest public data on the actual number of MD-105s in service.

In addition to being used to eliminate nuclear, biological and chemical pollution during wartime, the MD-105 heavy-duty disinfection vehicle has also been used for environmental disinfection services during the COVID-19 epidemic. The Army's 33rd Chemical Corps also operated the MD-105 during this year's National Army Han Kuang Exercise 42 to practice toxic material leak response at the Taoyuan Refinery, showing that this equipment is still an important tool for chemical troops to perform decontamination tasks.

The military pointed out that the new multi-functional heavy-duty disinfection vehicle can not only support local government disaster prevention and environmental disinfection, but also assist in the decontamination of contaminated personnel, vehicles and equipment during wartime and restore military operations. Compared with current models, the new car will focus on motorization and automation capabilities, but detailed specifications have not yet been announced.