According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense, the Taiwanese Armed Forces have confirmed the arrival of the first batch of M1A2T Abrams tanks delivered by the United States. As shown in images released by local authorities, the combat vehicles arrived early in the morning at the port of Taipei, in the Bali District of New Taipei City, and were transported by the Army’s Armored Training Command.
The information disclosed indicates that the Taiwanese Army received a total of 38 M1A2T tanks, as previously announced in a press conference earlier in December. This acquisition follows the Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) signed between Taipei and Washington in December 2019, which includes the provision of 108 M1A2T Abrams tanks valued at $2 billion. These are intended to replace the outdated M60A3 and CM-11 Brave Tiger tanks currently in service with the Taiwanese Army. The transfer was officially announced by then-President Tsai Ing-wen in August 2023.
Regarding their deployment, the Taiwanese Army previously detailed that ten of the tanks will remain with the Armored Training Command, while the remainder will be assigned to two Armored Brigades located in Linkou District, New Taipei City, and Hukou Township, Hsinchu County, to bolster defenses in the northern part of the island.
As for the remaining tanks, a statement from the Ministry of Defense in December projected that the Taiwanese Army will receive 38 M1A2T tanks by the end of this year, 42 in 2025, and 28 in 2026, aligning with the delivery schedule announced in 2023.
Following the delivery, Chinese media outlets and experts criticized the acquisition, not only for involving U.S.-manufactured equipment but also for being, in their view, outdated and vulnerable to modern threats such as drone and helicopter attacks. Additionally, they argued that given Taiwan’s status as an island, the M1A2 tanks represent a heavy option with limited mobility and deployment capabilities in a modern combat scenario.
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