Final batch of U.S. M1A2T Abrams tanks en route to Taiwan: MND source

Taipei, March 10 (CNA) The final 28 of 108 M1A2T Abrams tanks ordered from the United States are at sea and expected to arrive in Taiwan before the end of March, a Ministry of National Defense (MND) official said Tuesday.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the MND official told CNA that the scheduled delivery would ensure no gap in training schedules between the incoming third batch and the 42-tank second batch, which arrived at Taipei Port in July last year.

According to the official, the second batch has been deployed since December last year to the Kengzikou Training Area in Hsinchu County, where crews have completed live-fire training, including dry-fire drills and mounted machine gun combat firing.

The 42 tanks are to be formally commissioned into active service at a closed-door ceremony in the second quarter of this year, the official said.

The first batch of 38 Abrams tanks arrived in December 2024 and, after testing and training, was commissioned into Hsinchu's 584th Armored Brigade in late October 2025.