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Taiwan Army plans to outfit M60A3 tanks with new engines by 2028

Army also eyeing new system replacements for aging armored vehicles

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Taiwanese M60A3 tanks.

Taiwanese M60A3 tanks. (CNA photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan Army has announced its plans to replace the engines and gearboxes for its M60A3 tanks by 2028.

A military official said the tank’s current engine is only 750 horsepower and its mobility and off-road performance have gradually become insufficient. The new engine will have more than 1,000 horsepower, they said.

According to the Ministry of National Defense’s 2023 budget report, the Army Command has prepared a total of NT$7.24 billion (US$236.4 million) to replace the old tank engines, Liberty Times reported.

The Army Command has also commissioned the National Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) to replace the tank’s outdated fire control, gun control, and sighting in March. An initial batch of 40 M60A3s will be outfitted with the new systems for testing and evaluations.

If the results surpass the Army’s requirements, a large number of the tanks will be updated in stages.

In 2016, the Army commissioned NCSIST to conduct an upgrade plan for the tank, including replacing its 105 mm cannon with a 120mm cannon, per Liberty Times. It had also requested the replacement of its turret hydraulic system, ballistic computer system, and automatic reloading system.

However, because the budget for the modification of each tank was over NT$100 million, the project was ultimately abandoned.

Taiwan purchased second-hand M60A3 tanks from the U.S. in 1994 and 1996 and has a total of 460.

The tanks are currently the main mobile artillery force on Kinmen, Penghu, and in Taitung and Hualien. In recent Han Kuang exercises, the M60A3 tanks in the aforementioned regions have participated in live fire drills, according to Liberty Times.