TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The second batch of Abrams tanks, consisting of 42 units, will arrive in Taiwan by the end of June.

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) has been submitting reports to the Legislative Yuan to request the release of frozen funds, per Liberty Times. According to one report, the Army has allocated NT$40.52 billion (US$1.33 billion) between 2019 and 2027 to procure 108 M1A2T tanks and related equipment from the US.

Under the terms of the deal, deliveries will take place over three years, from 2024 through 2026. The first batch of 38 tanks arrived in Taiwan on Dec. 16 last year as planned.

The report said the second batch will arrive in the second quarter (April to June), followed by the final batch of 28 tanks in the first quarter of next year (January to March). Production and delivery are proceeding on schedule, with all milestones on track.

To ensure the timeline is maintained, the MND said its liaison officer in the US conducts audits and inspections of the factory every two months to keep the process on schedule.

The M1A2T features a 120 mm main gun, delivering greater firepower than the 105 mm guns on other tanks currently in service with Taiwan’s military. Since the arrival of the first batch, conversion training has been underway, with live-fire tests planned for next month and official commissioning expected in the second half of the year.

Once all 108 tanks are delivered, the Army's 269th Brigade will deploy one company at the Linkou Plateau. Ten tanks will be assigned to the Armor Training Command in Hsinchu County’s Hukou Township, while the remainder will be used to re-equip the 584th Brigade.