DEFENSE/M1A2T Abrams tanks deployed in combat readiness drill

Taoyuan, June 25 (CNA) A five-day military combat readiness exercise entered its fourth day on Thursday, with the Army deploying newly acquired M1A2T Abrams tanks alongside other units in the Taoyuan area.

According to the Ministry of National Defense, the "Immediate Combat Readiness Exercise," which runs from Monday through Friday, is intended to strengthen the military's ability to transition more quickly from peacetime to wartime operations.

During the day, troops from the Army's 53rd Engineer Group left their base to carry out a rapid roadblock drill on a section of Provincial Highway 15 near Taoyuan International Airport, according to a CNA reporter at the scene.

Within four hours, they erected a three-layer defensive barricade made up of concrete blocks, steel hedgehogs and HESCO barriers, each about 100 meters in length, to slow enemy movement toward nearby key infrastructure.

The drill also saw personnel from the Army's 584th Combined Arms Brigade deployed along County Road 110 to secure tactical positions.

Elsewhere, M1A2T tanks, CM-34 armored vehicles, TOW-2B missile carriers and other military vehicles were spotted passing by the Rakuten Taoyuan Baseball Stadium.

The convoy, escorted by light tactical vehicles and military trucks at the front and rear, attracted the attention of passersby.

Other M1A2T tanks were also seen at locations across Taoyuan, some concealed with camouflage nets to avoid enemy reconnaissance from the air and ground.

The exercises on Thursday mainly took place in the city's Qingpu area as well as Zhongli and Dayuan districts.