On Monday, February 2, 2026, the Taiwanese newspaper Liberty Times reported that the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) will begin, within the next two years, the procurement of 500 Cheetah 8×8 wheeled tank destroyers/fire support vehicles and 468 Iron Rider 4×4 wheeled reconnaissance vehicles. Meeting the planned schedule is contingent upon the successful completion of state trials of the prototypes.
Cheetah prototype / Photo: National Defense Online
Both vehicle types and the planned quantities were included in the recently published List of Controlled Military Items, outlining equipment to be acquired under the next five-year armed forces development plan for 2028–2033.
The Cheetah is based on the fourth prototype (D4) of the new fire support vehicle built on the CM-32 Yunpao II (also known as Cloud Leopard II) chassis. It is armed with a 105 mm low-recoil rifled gun derived from the U.S. M68A2. Earlier prototypes, D1, D2, and D3, underwent modifications during factory testing (Taiwan: Third Prototype of Fire Support Vehicle on CM-32 Yunpao II Chassis).
The D4 prototype is expected to complete trials in June this year. Compared to earlier versions, the vehicle’s height has been reduced to 2.9 meters (D1 and D2 measured 3.3 m, while D3 stood at 3 m) due to modifications to the two-man turret. The onboard supply of 105 mm × 617 R ammunition has been increased from 25 to 33 rounds. Secondary armament includes a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun, while the turret roof mounts a remotely operated weapon station armed with a 12.7 mm machine gun and 12 smoke grenade launchers.
During development, the hull design was generally improved, enhanced armor protection was implemented, and the suspension system was better balanced. The geometry of the turret’s frontal armor was also modified. Additionally, the operational range has been extended to 500 km. Combat weight is approximately 28 metric tons.
The main gun is capable of firing new armor-piercing ammunition with a tungsten-core APFSDS (armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot) projectile, reportedly capable of penetrating the equivalent of 500 mm of rolled homogeneous armor (RHA) at a distance of 2,000 meters. These performance parameters are said to surpass those of the older M60A3 TTS and CM-11 Brave Tiger tanks currently in service. An XTC112 canister round was also presented, containing 2,000 steel balls for engaging personnel targets.
The commander and gunner are equipped with panoramic sights enabling automatic target acquisition and identification, as well as hunter-killer engagement capability, similar to that of the latest M1A2T Abrams tanks.
The prototypes are powered by 600 hp diesel engines, providing a maximum road speed of up to 100 km/h at a combat weight of 28 tons. The crew consists of four personnel. The vehicle can negotiate gradients of 50% longitudinally and 30% laterally.
The vehicles were developed in cooperation with the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), responsible for the turret, and Plant 209, responsible for the chassis.
Iron Rider / Photo: Liberty Times
The second type of vehicle to be procured is the Iron Rider wheeled reconnaissance vehicle, whose prototype was unveiled at the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition (TATDE 2023) in Taipei.
The 7.5-ton prototype is powered by a turbocharged V8 diesel engine from Mercedes-AMG. The vehicle has an operational range of 500 km, a top speed of 100 km/h, and is capable of operating across most of Taiwan’s terrain.
It was designed to conduct reconnaissance, surveillance, security, and combat support missions. An electro-optical (EO) reconnaissance system mounted on a telescopic mast enables observation at distances of up to 12 km. The roof is also fitted with a remotely operated weapon station armed with a 12.7 mm machine gun, providing the crew with basic firepower. Four prototypes have been built, and their initial trials were completed in 2024.
