DEFENSE/2nd batch of 42 M1A2T tanks arrives in Taiwan

Taipei, July 28 (CNA) A second batch of 42 M1A2T Abrams tanks purchased from the United States arrived at Taipei Port late Sunday and were transported in the early hours of Monday to the Army's Armored Training Command in Hsinchu's Hukou Township.

At around 12:10 a.m., the tanks, covered in black waterproof tarps, were seen exiting the port on large civilian flatbed trailers. Police and military police vehicles escorted the convoy along the West Coast Expressway to the training base, with traffic controls enforced along the route.

The tanks were originally scheduled to arrive at Taipei Port on the night of July 26, but their arrival was delayed due to typhoon-related weather conditions.

The Army currently operates around 1,000 tanks, including the CM-11 Brave Tiger and M60A3 models, both of which have been in service for over two decades. While the military has invested in new engines for the M60A3s, it has also earmarked NT$40.52 billion (US$1.37 billion) from 2019-2027 to procure 108 M1A2T tanks from the U.S. These tanks will be deployed with the Army's Sixth Corps to bolster defenses in northern Taiwan.

The first batch of 38 M1A2Ts arrived in December last year and conducted their first live-fire exercise on July 10 at the Kengzikou Range in Hsinchu County. Four tanks fired a total of 19 rounds from their 120mm cannons at targets modeled after Chinese tanks, logging a perfect hit rate using the Hunter-Killer system.