President lauds production of Taiwan-made armored vehicle
ROC Central News Agency
2008-04-18 21:26:35
Taipei, April 18 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian lauded military personnel Friday for successfully producing Taiwan's first locally developed armored vehicles during a 40-minute visit to a production facility center in the central county of Nantou.
Chen said before inspecting the production line at the factory in Jiji Township that the Cloud Leopard armored vehicle was the result of a collaborative project between the Ministry of National Defense (MND) and local industries.
Chen added that such a collaboration was conducive to both the ministry and the private sector because it has created business opportunities and helped upgrade local industries' capabilities.
Describing the eight-wheeled vehicle that can reach speeds of 100 kilometers per hour as "fast, " "light, " "powerful" and "maneuverable, " Chen said that it was specifically designed to be adaptable to Taiwan's diverse terrain.
He encouraged the ministry to continue to develop various armored vehicles to enhance Taiwan's defense capabilities.
It took the ministry three years from 2002 to 2005 to develop the vehicle and small-scale production began last year.
The armored personnel carrier was named after the Formosan clouded leopard, a subspecies of the clouded leopard indigenous to Taiwan that is now thought to be extinct. The name was given to the vehicle because it is, like the animal, agile and swift.
(By T.C. Jiang)
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