TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) reaffirmed his commitment to defense on Thursday during an inspection of Taiwan’s M1A2T Abrams tanks.

Speaking at the Kengzikou firing range in Hsinchu County, Lai said the government will always be the military’s strongest supporter and pledged to protect Taiwan’s democratic and free way of life.

The president said he was confident the Abrams tanks would significantly contribute to strengthening the nation’s strategic defense goals when integrated with drones and innovative tactics. He pointed out that this year’s Han Kuang military exercise is completely unscripted and focuses on realistic combat scenarios to strengthen Taiwan’s multi-layered deterrence.

The Armaments Bureau is planning to produce 120 mm tank ammunition to ensure a stable supply of munitions for Taiwan’s Abrams tanks with the help of Northrop Grumman. Construction of a new facility and production line could begin as early as next year, according to Fisher Huang (黃思勳), country lead executive of Northrop Grumman’s Taiwan office.

Domestic production guarantees that Taiwan’s Armed Forces will use the same quality ammunition as the US military, and enables Taiwan to become part of Northrop’s supply chain, Huang said.