CM12

The CM-12 is a main battle tank developed by the Armored Vehicle Development Center (AVDC) for the Republic of China Army. The development program was initiated to utilize 100 surplus fire-control system units remaining from the production of the CM-11 Brave Tiger. These systems were integrated into existing M48A3 hulls, which had previously been upgraded from M48A1 configurations. While the design concept was derived from the M48A5, the CM-12 modification program was completed by 1993.

The vehicle features a CM-11 turret mounted on an M48A3 hull, which is distinguished by its rounded glacis plate. The primary armament is a 105mm M68A1 rifled cannon that lacks a muzzle brake and is capable of firing armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding-sabot (APFSDS) rounds. The tank carries 60 rounds of main gun ammunition. Secondary armament includes a .50 BMG M2 Browning machine gun on the commander’s cupola, a 7.62mm T74 machine gun on the gunner's cupola, and a coaxial 7.62mm M240 machine gun. The fire-control system is identical to that found on the CM-11.

Mobility is provided by a Continental AVDS-1790-2C air-cooled twin-turbo diesel engine and a replaced transmission. The hull retains the flush engine deck of the original M48A1; to accommodate the diesel engine, internal fuel cells were deleted, resulting in a shorter operational range compared to American-built M48A3 or M48A5 variants. The vehicle utilizes torsion bar suspension and is equipped with tracks designed to minimize damage to paved roads. The hull and turret are constructed of cast steel armor. This protection is considered insufficient against 125mm smoothbore ammunition used by Type 96 tanks and lacks the resistance offered by modern composite materials.

The Republic of China Army is the primary operator of the CM-12. Following the procurement of CM-11 and M60A3 TTS tanks, a large portion of the CM-12 fleet was retired or placed in storage. In 2025, authorities announced that the remaining units would be decommissioned by 2026. The fleet has been transitioned to military logistics centers for dismantling.