Taiwan to field T112 rifles from 2026 to strengthen accuracy and barrel life across infantry.

Taiwan’s defense ministry is pursuing Legislative Yuan approval for NT$8.1 billion to buy 86,114 domestically built T112 rifles in 5.56x45 mm, with phased fielding through 2029 that begins with active infantry units. The package standardizes optics and illuminators, improves accuracy and barrel life over the T91, and simplifies logistics through the use of a STANAG magazine and 5.56 mm compatibility.

Budget documents reviewed by local media, Taipei Times, moving to lock in a multi-year buy of the T112, an AR-pattern rifle produced by the 205th Arsenal, to replace T91s across front-line units first, then the Military Police and reserve. The plan totals 86,114 rifles at about NT$8.1 billion and includes accessories like red-dot and 1-4x optics plus visible and IR laser illuminators, indicating the ministry intends to field a complete small-arms system rather than a bare weapon. Initial mass production began in 2024, with roughly 24,534 rifles scheduled for delivery in 2026 according to the current budget cadence and reporting.
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Taiwan’s T112 5.56 mm rifle with a heavy polygonal barrel and IR illuminator, slated to replace T91s across frontline units by 2029. (Picture source: Central News Agency)

Built on an AR-15 architecture and operating by gas with a rotating bolt, the T112 weighs 3.5 kg, has a stated practical range of 600 m, and recorded an average spread of about 9.8 cm at 100 m in testing. It has a heavy-profile barrel with polygonal rifling, ambidextrous controls, and a selector with semi-automatic, two-round burst, and fully automatic modes. Series production began in 2024, with 14,248 rifles scheduled for delivery this year and 24,534 next year to equip active infantry first, followed by the Military Police and reserve units.

Taipei is standardizing a domestically produced rifle that retains 5.56x45 mm ammunition while raising precision and service-life thresholds. Budget lines also include laser illuminators, optics, and tactical lights to field a complete system rather than a bare rifle. Phased procurement spreads the workload for the arsenal while accelerating the turnover of T91s in service for two decades.

Three technical changes stand out. First, the thicker polygonal barrel increases precision by about 30 percent compared with the T91 and extends barrel life to 10,000 rounds from 6,000. Second, the selector uses a two-round burst instead of a traditional three-round setting, which limits the third projectile’s deviation and reduces ammunition expenditure. Third, the rifle adopts fully ambidextrous ergonomics to simplify training and handling under stress, regardless of firing side. There is also a more pronounced brass deflector and no forward assist, consistent with tighter manufacturing tolerances.

Procurement documents and recent training videos show T112s paired with red-dot or 1-4x low-power optics, visible and infrared illuminators, lights, and vertical foregrips. The upper features a full-length Picatinny rail with folding sights, an M-LOK handguard for modularity, a new flash hider, and an integrated universal bayonet mount. At night, IR devices pair with night-vision monoculars or binoculars to speed target acquisition and enable controlled fire without white-light signature spikes. By day, quick-attach points and rails allow a shift from two-point carry to a more mobile configuration in seconds. Overall, the rifle-optic-laser combination establishes a common aiming baseline across battalions while retaining STANAG magazine compatibility for logistics.

The T112 addresses several recurring gaps. Higher intrinsic precision and a more controlled burst yield tighter pairs at 50 to 200 meters, the most frequent envelope for urban engagements and checkpoint tasks. Longer barrel life reduces unscheduled downtime, and ambidextrous controls support left-handed shooters and right-handed shooters firing off-shoulder from cover. Because the rifle keeps STANAG magazines and 5.56 mm ammunition, it fits into existing logistics with minimal changes to spare parts and training syllabi. Infantry sections gain a modest improvement in first-round hit probability and sustainment without a caliber change.

The schedule maintains availability while modernizing. The 2025 and 2026 lots feed the Infantry School and priority brigades, then extend to the Military Police responsible for critical sites and to reserve brigades that underpin mobilization depth. Reassigned T91s will replace 1970s-era T65K2s in reserve stocks, raising the baseline without disrupting ammunition and magazine supply. In parallel, procurement of 5.56 mm steel-core ammunition indicates an effort to improve penetration against light cover and body armor, consistent with the new barrel’s precision gain.

Taipei is investing in basic land forces capability: trained riflemen equipped with standardized carbines, common optics, and night-fighting aids. The T112 does not change the cross-Strait balance on its own, but it increases distributed lethality within infantry units and strengthens reserves that would expand in a crisis. It also sustains on-island small-arms production at the 205th Arsenal through 2029.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Erwan Halna du Fretay is a graduate of a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience in the study of conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.