IN Brief:
- Rheinmetall Waffe Munition has received a NT$1.646 billion Taiwanese Air Force ammunition contract.
- The supply is associated with the service’s Oerlikon 35mm twin-cannon air-defence fleet.
- Contract performance is scheduled to continue through 30 June 2028.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense has awarded Rheinmetall Waffe Munition a NT$1.646 billion contract for training ammunition, sustaining the Republic of China Air Force’s 35mm gun-based air-defence capability through a delivery period running to June 2028.
The award names Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH as the sole winning supplier. The procurement record lists an original budget of NT$1.680 billion and a contract value of NT$1.646 billion, with the Air Force Command Headquarters identified as the executing authority. The contract was awarded on 9 September and is expected to run until 30 June 2028.
The contract record describes the item as training ammunition rather than publishing a detailed round specification. The purchase is associated with the Air Force’s Oerlikon 35mm twin-cannon fleet, consistent with the service’s equipment inventory and Rheinmetall Waffe Munition’s medium-calibre ammunition portfolio.
The Republic of China Air Force describes its Oerlikon 35 GDF as a low-altitude air-defence weapon used to protect air bases and other important targets. The twin 35mm cannon can be paired with Skyguard radar for guided engagement and automatic tracking, providing a gun layer against airborne threats at ranges where rapid-firing kinetic systems complement surface-to-air missiles.
Training ammunition determines whether crews can maintain firing routines, weapon handling, maintenance discipline, and command procedures on an established weapon system. Gun-based air defence places a particular premium on live-fire training because engagement windows are short and system effectiveness depends on the complete chain from detection and tracking through laying, firing, and post-engagement assessment.
The contract also extends the supply chain around a weapon family that has remained in service for decades. Rheinmetall Waffe Munition produces medium-calibre automatic cannon systems and ammunition, including products for anti-aircraft applications. Continued access to training rounds allows Taiwan to maintain readiness on an installed fleet while preserving its existing training and support infrastructure.
Layered air defence increasingly combines missiles and guns rather than treating either as a universal solution. Missiles provide reach and guidance performance against demanding targets, while gun systems offer a different magazine and cost profile for short-range engagements. Increased use of small uncrewed aircraft has added weight to that approach, although the Taiwanese procurement notice does not state that the training ammunition is specifically linked to counter-UAS operations.
The award establishes a training supply requirement and delivery period but does not disclose ammunition quantity, projectile type, fuze, ballistic performance, or a change to the combat configuration of Taiwan’s 35mm guns. Those details would be required before attributing any new operational capability to the procurement.
The procurement route also gives the contract a clear international supply-chain dimension. It is classified as a restricted tender, identifies one bidder, and records Germany as the country of origin. The listed contract location is southern Taiwan, while procurement was handled through the Ministry of National Defense’s European purchasing office.
For Rheinmetall, the award is a sustainment and ammunition programme rather than a new platform sale. Contracts of this type keep established weapon families supportable, preserve demand for qualified ammunition production, and maintain the technical and logistics relationship between the original equipment family and its operator.
The published contract data records a single line item and does not provide a round count, preventing a reliable unit-price calculation or assessment of the number of training events supported. It also classifies the purchase as national-security related and outside several government-procurement agreement frameworks. The winning bid was below both the original NT$1.680 billion budget and the NT$1.650 billion benchmark figure recorded in the award data.
Delivery through mid-2028 will spread the procurement across several training cycles. Shipment progress, continued live-fire qualification, and any later procurement identifying the specific ammunition family will provide a clearer indication of how the 35mm fleet is being sustained within Taiwan’s wider layered base-defence architecture.
