TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan will receive the first batch of M1A2T Abrams tanks in December.
The Army allocated NT$40.52 billion (US$1.26 billion) from 2019 to 2027 to purchase 108 M1A2T tanks from the US. The tanks will be assigned to the 6th Army Corps to defend northern Taiwan.
Thirty-eight tanks will be delivered in 2024, 42 in 2025, and 28 in 2026, CNA reported.
Seed instructors training in the US will return to Taiwan by the end of November. After completing the necessary procedures, maintenance and weapons training is set to begin in February 2025, following the Lunar New Year.
The Chang An base and Kengzikou proving ground are under renovation in preparation for the forthcoming tanks. The proving ground will have a new firing range extended to 1,800 meters with fixed and mobile targets.
The M1A2T Abram tank is armed with a 120mm smoothbore gun capable of penetrating 850mm of homogeneous steel. The tank's composite armor provides protection against 850mm armor-piercing rounds.
In addition to purchasing new tanks, the Army is upgrading its aging fleet of M60 Patton tanks. In 2022, it allocated NT$444.01 million (US$13.95 million) to enhance the tanks’ fire control, targeting, and sighting systems.
The upgrades are being carried out by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology and are expected to be completed next year.
The military is also developing a new Clouded Leopard variant with a 105mm cannon. Following the production of two prototype vehicles, D1 and D2, the Armaments Bureau plans to the D3 prototype by next June.
