The Taiwanese Army will purchase 25,000 upgraded assault rifles next year as part of an ongoing effort to modernize its defense capabilities.
A military source told local media outlets that the weapons are an improved version of the T112 rifles, which debuted last year.
Developed by the country’s 205th Arsenal of the Armaments Bureau, the newly-designated “XT112” rifle reportedly has better range and accuracy than the existing T91 and T65K2 models.
It uses the same 5.56×45-millimeter cartridge as the T91s and only weighs 3.5 kilograms (7.7 pounds).
The operational range of the T112s has also been increased from 400 to 600 meters (1,312 to 1,968 feet), while its barrel’s life expectancy has improved from 6,000 rounds in the previous models to 10,000 rounds.
Once delivered, the assault rifles are expected to allow Taiwanese soldiers to carry out longer-range missions with improved lethality and mobility.
‘A Fully Ambidextrous System’
After debuting at the 2023 Taipei Aerospace & Defense Industry Exhibition, the T112 underwent minor tweaks to make it a fully ambidextrous system.
Its charging handle can now be operated on either side and it also features dual magazine release and fire group selector to allow easy access for users regardless of their dominant hand.
The manufacturer also incorporated a deflector near the ejection port to protect the face of a left-handed shooter from being burned by ejected casings during shooting.
Additionally, the weapon features an improved sight that allows users to measure the distance of a target and a thickened barrel for improved accuracy.
It also has a 30-round polymer magazine that reportedly reduces the chance of misfeeds. It also has a transparent window to see how many bullets are left.
The shooting modes on the T112 are semi-automatic, two-round burst, and fully automatic.
