TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan could receive its third batch of Abrams tanks from the US as early as the end of March, a defense official said Tuesday.
The remaining 28 of 108 tanks were recently built in the US and will soon be shipped to Taiwan, the official said, per CNA. There will be no gap in training schedules between the second and third batches of tanks, the official said.
The second batch of Abrams tanks was relocated to the Kengzikou training ground in Hsinchu in December, and tank crews have since completed live-fire conversion training, including integration and acceptance testing of firing and observation systems.
Training concluded last month, and crews have returned to their primary bases, where they are conducting combat readiness training and evaluations, the official said. The military plans to hold an internal commissioning ceremony in the second quarter of this year, after which the tanks will formally enter service, the official added.
The Army allocated NT$40.52 billion (US$1.31 billion) from 2019 to 2027 to buy 108 Abrams tanks from the US. Most of the new tanks will be deployed with the 584th Armored Brigade.
The remainder will go to the 269th Mechanized Infantry Brigade in Taoyuan and the Armor Training Command in Hsinchu County. The tanks will be integrated into the nation’s command and control system, according to the military.
