In its bid to retain its independence from mainland China - and hampered by restrictions against outside help - the island nation of Taiwan nurtures a growing, indigenous military-industrial complex. This has produced several homegrown solutions including the "Indigenous Defence Fighter" as well as various infantry-level small arms and armored vehicles. With the introduction of the CM32 "Clouded Leopard" 8x8 wheeled Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) of 2007, the country has continued its in-house modernization efforts.
The basic CM32 design makes up three major variants of the line - the "CM-32" Command Vehicle of 2014, the "CM-33" model with Remote Weapon Station (RWS) support, and the harder-hitting "CM-34" of 2019 (the focus of this article). The CM-34 retains the primary form-and-function of the CM-32 design, including its excellent off-road capabilities and inherent modularity, but broadens its tactical battlefield usefulness by directly supporting infantry actions through mobility and firepower.
The CM-34 introduces a 30mm chain gun-armed Bushmaster Mk 44 powered turret, capable of engaging light-armored / light-skinned vehicles and infantry at-range, with the emplacement seated over the hull in conventional fashion (given 360-degree traversal from hull centerline). The hull sits atop a fully-suspended, four-axle, eight-wheeled arrangement offering high ground clearance and sound cross-country features. With its shallow glacis plate, the vehicle has an inherently low profile when viewed, at distance, along the horizon. Composite armor added over the base protection scheme further enhances crew and systems protection against ballistic-based strikes and a complete Nuclear-Biological-Chemical (NBC) suite is standard as is a turret-mounted thermal imaging device. The chain gun is digitally-stabilized for accurized firing "on-the-move", the weapon system ranging out to a distance of 3,000 meters. Smoke grenade dischargers are also present on the front turret faces (cheek positions) for self-screening of the vehicle as needed.
Performance includes an on-road speed of 100 kmh, giving the vehicle good "legs" in keeping up with the main fighting force.
Research, development, and manufacturing work on this variant of the CM-32 was handled by the Production and Manufacturing Center of the Armament Bureau as well as the National Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST). HCG is responsible for the vehicle's armor protection scheme - which is rated against small arms fire (up to 12.7mm) and artillery "spray".
Serial production of the CM-34 mark began in 2018 with service entry granted in 2019. The Taiwanese land forces are committed to acquiring some 284 CM-34 vehicles in all. Beyond its use by Taiwanese armed forces, the vehicle has also been ordered by Taiwanese military police (21 on order) who would also be put into action should a forcible Chinese takeover of the island ensue.
Power & Performance Those special qualities that separate one land system design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the CM-34 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV).
1 x Caterpillar C12 diesel engine developing 450 horsepower driving 8x8 all-wheeled arrangement. Installed Power
62 mph 100 kph Road Speed
497 miles 800 km Range
Structure The physical qualities of the CM-34 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV).
3 (MANNED) Crew
23.0 ft 7 meters O/A Length
8.9 ft 2.7 meters O/A Width
7.4 ft 2.25 meters O/A Height
54,013 lb 24,500 kg | 27.0 tons Weight
Armament & Ammunition Available supported armament, ammunition, and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the CM-34 (Clouded Leopard IFV) Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV).
1 x 30mm Bushmaster Mk 44 chain gun in front turret face.
1 x 7.62mm co-axial machine gun in front turret face.
12 x Smoke grenade dischargers.
OPTIONAL:
1 x 12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) on turret roof.
AMMUNITION: 250 x 30mm projectiles (estimated).
1,000 x 7.62mm ammunition (estimated).
500 x 12.7mm ammunition (estimated).
12 x Smoke grenades.
Variants Notable series variants as part of the CM-34 (Clouded Leopard IFV) family line.
CM-34 - Base Series Designation.
CM-31 - Original 6x6 prototype of the CM-32.
CM-32 - Command Vehicle variant of 2007 with enhanced communications suite.
CM-33 - Base APC model of 2014 with 7.62mm / 40mm AGL armament and troop-carrying functionality.
Operators Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the CM-34 (Clouded Leopard IFV). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national land systems listing.
Total Production: 305 Units Contractor(s): 209 Factory - Taiwan
[ Taiwan ]
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Image by Military news Agency; Ko Peng-hsin photographer.
Similar Developments of similar form-and-function, or related, to the CM-34 (Clouded Leopard IFV) Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV).
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