Taiwan to hold live-fire training for new M1A2T tanks

Taipei, June 12 (CNA) An upcoming live-fire training exercise to be held by the Army's Armor Training Command in Hsinchu County will include U.S.-made M1A2T tanks, a military source said Thursday.

According to a notification issued by the Fisheries Agency, the Armor Training Command is scheduled to conduct live-fire training at the county's Kengzikou Range from June 16 through mid-July, involving "surface weapons" with a range of up to 2,000 feet.

Some of the training will take place at night, according to the notification.

The source confirmed to CNA that the weapons used in the training will include M1A2T tanks and more live-fire exercises for the tanks are planned before they are formally commissioned.

The first batch of 38 M1A2T tanks, purchased by Taiwan from the United States, as part of a deal for 108 tanks, arrived in Taiwan in December last year.

As for whether the M1A2T tanks will participate in the 41st Han Kuang exercise, Taiwan's annual major war game, held in July, Lieutenant General Huang Wen-chi (黃文啓), director of the Ministry of National Defense's Department of Strategic Planning, previously said they will still be in the training phase in July and will not take part in live-force exercises.

The Army reportedly plans to hold a commissioning ceremony for the M1A2T tanks in the second half of this year. Former defense ministers, retired generals, presidential strategic advisers, and former commanders of the Armor Training Command are expected to be invited to the ceremony.

In addition, the source noted the M1 Abrams tank is named in honor of U.S. Army General Creighton Williams Abrams Jr., known for his expertise as an armor commander, saying that the military is also considering inviting his son, retired U.S. Army four-star General Robert Abrams, to attend the event.