Taiwan to buy M777 howitzer artillery to bolster anti-amphibious assault capability, reports suggest
Taiwan News
Date: 2018/10/28
By: Scott Morgan, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
U.S. military using M777 howitzer in Afghanistan, 2009 (By Wikimedia Commons)
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan is set to buy a number M777 howitzer artillery to replace the older M113 155 millimeter armored personnel carrier, according to Apple Daily.
The plan reportedly codenamed “accurate thunder clap” (銳霆) is part of the Ministry of National Defense’s (MND) ongoing strategy to confront and dissolve a potential amphibious assault, the report said.
Previous reports suggest the MND began considering upgrading its artillery after a review of the the annual Han Kuang live-fire drills in 2017.
The MND initially considered purchasing a suite of M777 and M109A6 howitzers, but after purchasing the M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks, the military decided to postpone the M109A6 purchase, and instead focus on M777 howitzer and M982 Excalibur guided artillery shell, the report said. [FULL STORY]