TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Army will launch its first M1A2T Abrams tank battalion in October, with the last 28 of 108 tanks ordered from the US to arrive in Taiwan during the first quarter of next year.

The 80 tanks received have already completed the required tests and certifications, the Liberty Times reported. The Army’s 584th Armored Brigade in Hsinchu County has been tasked with housing the new vehicles, with training, protection, and repair involving a wide array of complicated procedures.

Senior Army officers visited the brigade Thursday to inspect progress. Live-fire drills were completed during the recent Han Kuang 41 war games, but officers insisted that equal attention should be paid to maintenance afterward.

The US approved the sale of the Abrams tanks, manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems, in 2019. Taiwan set aside a budget of more than NT$40.52 billion (US$1.35 billion) to buy the tanks and related equipment. The first batch of 38 tanks arrived in December 2024, followed by 42 in July.