Taiwan is committing a large chunk of its defense budget to a new generation of home-built armored vehicles — good news for the island's defense industry and for army mobility, and another sign of how fast Taipei is arming against China.

• The army plans to buy an upgraded "Cloud Leopard" wheeled combat vehicle in a program worth about NT$70 billion.
• The new version is built to be faster and more heavily armed than the vehicles now in service.
• Wheeled vehicles suit Taiwan's road network, letting units move quickly between defense positions instead of relying on slow tracked armor.
• The money stays largely at home, since the Cloud Leopard is designed and built in Taiwan rather than bought abroad.
• It fits a wider push to raise defense spending as pressure from Beijing keeps building.

Outlook: Expect the purchase to move ahead alongside further defense budget increases, with deliveries stretching over the coming years.