Taiwanese Army Begins Training with New CM-34 Infantry Fighting Vehicle

Taiwanese Army also called the Republic of China Army Republic of China Army (RoCA) has begun using the locally developed CM-34 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) in training manoeuvres. The training, which took place at the RoCA’s Southern District Joint Test Centre, included off-road route navigation, engaging static and moving targets with the platform’s 30 mm cannon, and using smoke grenades to obscure the vehicle. A total of 284 CM-34s are expected to be procured. Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense (MND) report confirms that the RoCA has begun introducing the IFV as planned.

The design of the CM-34 Infantry Fighting Vehicle is very similar to the previous version of wheeled armored vehicle CM-32 also produced locally by the Taiwanese defense industry. The CM-34 is based on the 6×6 CM-31 designed by Timoney Technology Limited of Ireland and is also manufactured locally by the Ordnance Readiness Development Centre. The vehicle is fitted with a two-man turret armed with Orbital ATK Mk 44 Bushmaster II 30 mm dual-feed automatic cannon. The second armament includes one coaxial machine gun mounted to the right of the main armament and one 7.62mm machine gun mounted on the roof of the turret. Six smoke grenade launchers are mounted on each side at the front of the turret.

The CM-34 is divided in three main parts with the driver sits at the front of the vehicle on the left side and has a single-piece hatch cover that opens to the rear. The engine is to the right of the driver with the air inlet and outlet louvers in the top of the hull. The CM-34 has a crew of three including a driver, commander, and gunner and can carry eight infantrymen at the rear of the vehicle. The hull of the CM-34 protects the crew against the firing of small arms 7.62mm around the vehicle while the frontal arc withstands 12.7 mm AP rounds. It has a V-shaped hull that provides protection against mine blast and can withstand 12 kg of TNT under any wheel.