A new assault rifle being developed by Taiwan’s military is expected to finish the combat readiness testing stage in August, the last phase before entering mass production, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced Tuesday.

Military spokesman Sun Li-fang (???) said the armed forces had been developing the new model since 2020 to make it lighter but with a longer range in response to the needs of modern urban warfare.

The new assault rifle, named “XT112,” is set to complete combat readiness testing this August, Sun said during a news briefing.

Sun said the military will gradually replace the aging rifles currently in use by the armed forces with the new model, but did not disclose when that would take place.

The Chinese-language United Daily News said a day earlier that the first batch of XT112 rifles will enter service next year.

Taiwan’s military has a five-step new-weapon development process that includes initial conceptual design, related engineering development, initial testing, and combat readiness testing, before entering mass production.

Sun, meanwhile, said the military is also set to purchase red dot sights and Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight devices that can be installed on the new rifles to increases the shooters’ speed and accuracy in short and long-range engagements.

The combat units of Taiwan’s armed forces are currently using T91 rifles produced by the 205th Armory of the Ministry of National Defense that have been in service for nearly 20 years.

It is based on the proven T86 assault rifle, incorporating features from the M16 and AR-18 rifles with more modern features.

The nation’s reserve units, meanwhile, use the older T65K2 rifles developed and manufactured by the Combined Logistics Command that have been in service since the late 1970s.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel