Taiwan unveils new 105mm tank fighter called D2

The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of China has shown a prototype of a new wheeled tank fighter D2 based on the CM-32 armoured personnel carrier.

Here's What We Know

The vehicle was demonstrated at the Chung Shan National Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) training ground. The newest tank fighter is based on the upgraded CM-32 armoured personnel carrier with an 8x8 wheelbase and is equipped with a turret with a 105 mm cannon.

At the test site, the armoured vehicle was shown to brake, pick up speed and test the fire control system.

The developers explained that the new turret with a 105mm gun of their own design, combined with a modern fire control system, is capable of operating in a hunter-killer mode. That is, the D2 can hit an enemy target while simultaneously searching for another one thanks to a panoramic sight with a daytime optical channel and thermal imager installed on the turret.

It should be noted that the combat vehicle has been under development since 2014, and between 2019 and 2023, two prototypes were produced, designated D1 and D2.

The National Institute has officially announced the completion of the tank fighter and is currently awaiting a contract from the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of China to start mass production. In addition, the defence ministry has allocated funding for the development of an improved version, dubbed D3

The new combat vehicle uses 89% of components manufactured in Taiwan. It will be equipped with a Caterpillar C9 engine with an increased capacity of up to 600 horsepower.

Source: World Defence News