Taiwan is moving forward with plans for joint production of 155mm artillery shells alongside the United States, Lt. Gen. Lin Wen-hsiang, head of the Armaments Bureau, confirmed.
Lin cited the shells’ widespread use in the Ukraine-Russia war and Taiwan’s need to secure local munitions supplies amid Chinese threats as key drivers for the initiative.
Sources suggest the project is intended to supply Taiwan’s incoming US-made M109A7 self-propelled howitzers and address compatibility challenges between domestic ammunition and the US platform.
The defense ministry will invest approximately NT$14 billion ($443 million) to construct an automated 155mm production line at the 202nd Factory and modernize existing facilities to increase output. Should the pilot program succeed, it may expand to include additional munitions types.
155mm shells, measuring roughly 0.6 meters and weighing 45 kilograms, are NATO-standard and used for counter-battery, long-range, and operational support. Other countries, including the US, Poland, and Belgium, are also enhancing domestic 155mm production in response to surging demand.
