United States approves the sale of ammunition to Taiwan to enhance its defense.

On June 29, 2023, the U.S. Department of State gave its approval for a military sale to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the United States. This sale will include 30mm caliber ammunition and related equipment, with an estimated value of $332.2 million. The Defense Cooperation and Security Agency has formally notified Congress of this potential sale.
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30 mm rounds into an A-10 Thunderbolt II (Picture source : Air Force of United States )

TECRO (Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office) has expressed its request to purchase various non-classified 30mm caliber ammunition, including tracer-incendiary rounds, multipurpose rounds, and training rounds. This request also includes engineering technical services for configuration control, production support, ammunition testing, and loading, assembly, and packaging services. Additional technical services such as procurement assistance, civilian personnel costs, contractual support, provision of technical data, and associated testing are also included. The total estimated cost of this sale amounts to $332.2 million.

The proposed sale will enhance the capabilities of Taiwan's CM-34 armored vehicles and strengthen its level of interoperability with the United States. The acquisition of this ammunition will not pose any integration issues within the Taiwanese armed forces. The CM-34 Taiwanese armored vehicles were previously discussed on Army Recognition on April 22, 2020.

The vehicle's design is very similar to the previous version of the CM-32 wheeled armored vehicle. The CM-34 is based on the six-wheeled CM-31 design by Ireland's Timoney Technology Limited. The CM-34's hull provides crew protection against 7.62mm small arms fire around the vehicle, while the frontal arc withstands 12.7mm armor-piercing rounds. It features a V-shaped hull that offers protection against mine blasts.

The driver sits at the front of the vehicle on the left side and has a rear-opening, single-piece hatch cover. The engine is located to the right of the driver. The vehicle is equipped with a two-person turret armed with a 30mm dual-feed Orbital ATK Mk 44 Bushmaster II automatic cannon. The secondary armament includes a coaxial machine gun mounted to the right of the main armament and a roof-mounted 7.62mm machine gun. Six smoke grenade launchers are mounted on each side at the front of the turret. The CM-34 has a crew of three, including a driver, commander, and gunner, and can transport eight infantry soldiers at the rear of the vehicle.

The primary contractor responsible for providing the AB44 ammunition will be Alliant Techsystems Operations LLC. As for the AB51 and AA90 ammunition, they will be supplied by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems. No offset agreement is planned as part of this potential sale.

With the increasingly tense situation in the Pacific, a potential ammunition delivery agreement between Taiwan and the United States is always worth keeping an eye on. The list and details of the agreement between the two parties will be seen in the future. With a value of $332.2 million, it will be adjusted based on final requirements, budgetary authorizations, and signed sales agreements, if any.