President Lai attends commissioning of M1A2T tank battalion

Taipei, Oct. 31 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Friday attended the commissioning ceremony for Taiwan's first M1A2T tank battalion.

Addressing the ceremony, Lai said the 3rd Combined Arms Battalion of the Army's 584th Armored Brigade is the first unit in the military to be equipped with M1A2T tanks.

Lai added that with new equipment and technologies, the military must also adopt new training methods and mindsets to put the spirit of asymmetric warfare into practice, thereby strengthening its combat capabilities and implementing the overall defense strategy of "resolute defense and multilayered deterrence."

The commissioning ceremony at the Hukou military base in Hsinchu County was attended by various officials, including Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄).

Taiwan has ordered a total of 108 M1A2T tanks, valued at approximately NT$40.5 billion (US$1.31 billion). So far, the first two batches, totaling 80 tanks, have been delivered, with the remaining 28 scheduled to arrive in early 2026.

The 3rd Combined Arms Battalion, with its two tank companies, is the first unit in the military to transition from CM11 tanks to M1A2Ts. Following this, the 1st and 2nd Combined Arms Battalions will each replace two tank companies with M1A2Ts, and one of the infantry battalions under the mechanized 269th Brigade will also have its tank company upgraded to M1A2T tanks.

The M1A2T is equipped with a 120 mm smoothbore main gun capable of penetrating 850 mm of homogenous steel within its effective range. It features a Hunter-Killer targeting system, digitalized interior controls, a remote-controlled turret, and an inter-vehicular information system (IVIS), which allows for digital transmission of data between friendly units.

Sheu Jyh-shyang (許智翔), an assistant research fellow in the Division of Chinese Politics, Military and Warfighting Concepts at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), said the primary role of the brigade's M1A2T tanks would not be coastal defense.

This is because if the People's Liberation Army (PLA) lands its forces, it would likely have air and naval superiority, Sheu said, adding that the M1A2Ts may not survive attacks from the air and sea.

As northern Taiwan is highly urbanized, the tanks could instead be used as armored task forces in urban warfare, operating in close, joint coordination with other military units, he added.

Huang Chun-min (黃竣民), a retired military officer and author, said that the battlefield tank would be deployed for urban defense as well as traditional beach counterattacks.

He added that the military could expand the tank's training to strengthen urban operations, mobile short-range air defense, and air-ground coordination.

Lin Ying-yu (林穎佑), an associate professor at Tamkang University's Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies, said it is encouraging that the military is gradually receiving M1A2T tanks.

However, Lin noted that the Army is still exploring how to fully utilize many new systems it has acquired in recent years, including the HIMARS multiple rocket launcher, M1A2T tanks, and Altius-600M attack drones.