Taiwan receives first batch of Abrams tanks

16 December, 2024 The first batch of M1A2T tanks for the Republic of China Armed Forces. Photo: Taiwan Ministry of Defense The Taiwanese Army has received the first batch of American M1A2T Abrams tanks.

This was reported by the official website of the Ministry of National Defense of Taiwan. The first batch of M1A2T tanks was unloaded at the port of Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan, from where they were delivered by truck to military units. As part of this batch, Taiwan received 38 tanks that will replace the aging fleet of CM-11 Brave Tiger and CM-12, which are modernized versions of the M48 and M60.

Photo: Ministry of National Defense of Taiwan

In total, according to the signed contract, Taiwan is to receive 108 tanks, 38 of which have already been delivered. The remaining 70 tanks will be delivered later, as they are being modernized at the Lima, Ohio, tank plant. The tanks will be distributed among units in the northern part of the island, which, according to the Ministry of Defense, is a priority area for Chinese landings in the event of war.

In total, within the allocated funds, the supply of the Abrams tanks will last from 2019 to 2027, and during this time, all 108 ordered tanks should be delivered. According to the plan, Taiwan is to receive a second batch of 38 tanks in 2025, a batch of 28 tanks in 2026, and the rest in 2027. Currently, the Ministry of National Defense of Taiwan is satisfied with the pace of tank transfers, as the Lima plant is able to modernize about 4 units per month, which corresponds to the schedule of delivery of new tanks. Currently, the Taiwanese Army is equipped with tanks designed in the 1960s, which were modernized in the 1980s and 1990s.

In addition to receiving the new tanks, an undetermined number of M60A3 TTSs of the Taiwanese Marine Corps will be upgraded to a new level at NCSIST facilities between 2022 and probably by the end of 2024.

Earlier, Militarnyi reported that the Armed Forces of the Republic of China (Taiwan) were adopting the experience of "drone warfare" from the fields of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war.

The innovations in the form of FPV drones and protective nets for armored vehicles were demonstrated to the country's Defense Minister during a visit to one of the training centers.