TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) on Tuesday responded to rumors of low availability rates for M1A2T tanks, stating he was unaware of any logistics issues facing the vehicles.
KMT Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) questioned Koo over a reported shortage of repair parts and low readiness, according to UDN. Koo maintained that no such logistics problems had been brought to his attention.
During a press event, Brigade Major Chang Chia-hsien (張嘉顯) of the 584th Armored Brigade clarified that tank availability is actually above 96% and spare parts have been distributed to equipped units, per NOWNews.
Battalion Commander Huang Chen-yang (黃禎詠) also addressed concerns regarding local bridge capacities, per Liberty Times. He stressed that despite the total weight of the M1A2T, the ground pressure exerted through its tracks is significantly less than that of large commercial trucks.
Weight concerns partly stem from former Army Commanding General Li Hsiang-chou (李翔宙), who noted that 52-tonne M60 tanks damaged bridge surfaces during live tests, per Storm Media. Li warned that with roughly 40% of Taiwan’s bridges built before 1980 and rated for 30 to 50 tonnes, the 70-tonne M1A2T tanks pose a major risk. He also flagged fuel consumption as a wartime concern.
Chieh Chung (揭仲), an adjunct researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, countered that weight limits are manageable because the M1A2T will operate in northern Taiwan, where newer bridges are more prevalent, per Storm Media. Chieh argued that peacetime preparation can mitigate constraints like fuel consumption, but warned that drones pose the greatest threat to the M1A2T.
