Taiwan strengthens defenses near capital and coastline with 42 new US-made M1A2T Abrams tanks.

As reported by CNA on July 28, 2025, a second batch of 42 M1A2T main battle tanks arrived in Taiwan late on July 27, 2025, and were transported in the early hours of July 28 to the Army's Armored Training Command in Hukou, Hsinchu County. The tanks were offloaded at the Port of Taipei and moved by civilian flatbed trailers under escort by military police and local law enforcement via the West Coast Expressway.
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The M1A2Ts conducted their first live-fire training on July 10, 2025, during the Han Kuang 41 exercise, when four tanks participated in a live-fire demonstration at the newly developed Kengzikou training range, firing 19 rounds at both stationary and moving targets modeled after Chinese PLA tanks. (Picture source: Taiwan MoD)

Originally scheduled for arrival on July 26, their transport was delayed due to adverse weather conditions caused by a passing typhoon. The convoy began leaving the port around 12:10 a.m., with all tanks covered in black waterproof tarps to protect the equipment during transfer. Traffic along the route was controlled to ensure the secure and discreet relocation of the vehicles. With the delivery of this batch, Taiwan now possesses 80 M1A2T tanks out of the 108 ordered from the United States as part of a long-term Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program signed in 2019 and approved that same year by the U.S. State Department, despite objections from China.

The M1A2T is a Taiwan-specific export variant of the American M1A2 SEP v2 Abrams tank, manufactured in the United States at the Anniston Army Depot and the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio. Unlike U.S. Army configurations, the M1A2T excludes depleted uranium armor due to export restrictions, substituting it with FMS-compliant composite armor reinforced with explosive reactive armor tiles. This modification preserves protection levels while adhering to legal constraints. The tanks also lack the Trophy active protection system but compensate with structural and electronic enhancements. Each M1A2T is powered by a Honeywell AGT1500C 1,500-horsepower gas turbine engine, providing a top road speed of 67 kilometers per hour and an operational range of approximately 426 kilometers. With a weight ranging from 68 to 72 tonnes, depending on configuration, the tank retains mobility across diverse terrain. The chassis is based on the M1A1 platform, retaining the older-style tiedown eyes, while the turret is largely aligned with the M1A2 SEPv2 design but includes Taiwan-specific modifications such as the Auxiliary Cooling and Power System (ACPS) at the turret’s rear.

The tank’s armament includes a 120mm M256 L/44 smoothbore main gun capable of firing armor-piercing (APFSDS) and high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds, including the export-specific KE-W A1 APFSDS-T round, which reportedly achieves up to 850mm of armor penetration. Secondary weapons include a coaxial 7.62mm M240 machine gun, a loader-operated M240, and a 12.7mm M2 heavy machine gun integrated into a low-profile Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (LP-CROWS), enabling remote engagement without exposing the crew. On each side of the turret, the tank mounts six-barrel 66mm smoke and fragmentation grenade launchers for concealment and close-range countermeasures. Its advanced fire-control system incorporates hunter-killer targeting functionality, allowing the commander and gunner to engage separate targets simultaneously using thermal sights, laser rangefinders, and onboard ballistic computers that can process 30 fire-solution updates per second. The tank is also fitted with an Ammunition DataLink that enables the use of programmable rounds such as the M1147 AMP, providing point-detonate, airburst, and delay detonation options.

Taiwan began receiving its M1A2T tanks in December 2024, when the first batch of 38 units was delivered to Taipei Port and transferred to the Hukou Armor Training Command. Since then, ten of these tanks have been retained for instructional use, while the remaining units are assigned to operational brigades including the 584th Armored Brigade in Hsinchu and the 269th Mechanized Infantry Brigade in Linkou. The M1A2Ts conducted their first live-fire training on July 10, 2025, during the Han Kuang 41 exercise. Four tanks participated in a live-fire demonstration at the newly developed Kengzikou training range, firing 19 rounds at both stationary and moving targets modeled after Chinese PLA tanks. The exercise demonstrated high precision from both static and on-the-move firing positions, with all rounds reportedly hitting their targets, a performance attributed to the tank’s digital targeting systems. President Lai Ching-te observed the drills in person and emphasized their role in strengthening Taiwan’s defense readiness in the face of increasing military pressure from the PRC.

Training, infrastructure, and logistical systems supporting the M1A2T program continue to expand. The Kengzikou training range, completed in May 2025, features a main firing pad capable of supporting 120mm rounds with a ballistic ceiling of 609 meters and a 5.56-kilometer minimum safety radius. Additionally, construction of a sub-caliber range and tactical driving course at Chang’an military camp is ongoing, with completion expected in 2026. The Ministry of National Defense has allocated NT$648.93 million for infrastructure related to the tank program, and reported in July that construction progress was 5.51 percent ahead of schedule. Legislative oversight committees previously froze portions of this budget pending demonstrable progress but authorized disbursement following inspection of milestones. Training modules for the M1A2T program are divided into initial, intermediate, and advanced phases, covering basic driving, tactical maneuvering, and battlefield operations, with sessions held at both Chang’an and Kengzikou until full facilities are completed.

Strategically, the M1A2T is integrated into Taiwan’s five-layer coastal defense system. This framework involves pre-landing strikes with anti-ship missiles, targeting of landing zones with long-range artillery systems like HIMARS and Thunderbolt-2000, aerial interdiction by Apache helicopters, inland missile battery fire from fixed installations, and armored counterattacks led by platforms like the M1A2T. Analysts emphasize the tank’s role in neutralizing enemy units that penetrate the initial defense layers, particularly in urban or inland environments. Deployment locations have been chosen to reinforce access routes and strategic chokepoints in northern Taiwan, especially around Taipei, Taoyuan, Zhubei, and Hsinchu. The 584th Brigade is tasked with protecting the Red Beaches, potential invasion corridors, while the 269th Brigade in Linkou secures approaches to the capital. Older CM-12 tanks have been fully decommissioned and sent to maintenance centers for parts recovery, while the M60A3 fleet is undergoing selective engine upgrades and CM-11s are being moved into phased storage.

Following this second delivery of 42 M1A2T tanks, Taiwan expects the final batch of 28 to arrive in early 2026. This will complete the 108-unit procurement outlined in the 2019 FMS agreement, which also includes 14 M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicles, 16 M1070A1 transporters, and 16 M1000 trailers. U.S. liaison officers have been dispatched to production sites in the United States to monitor manufacturing and inspect deliveries every two months. All units are newly produced and not drawn from surplus U.S. military stocks. The Ministry of National Defense has indicated that formal commissioning of the M1A2Ts into full operational service is expected in the second half of 2025. A commissioning ceremony involving U.S. officials and potentially members of General Creighton Abrams’ family is under consideration. The tanks will remain in service through at least 2040, forming a central component of Taiwan’s armored deterrence posture and providing a significant upgrade over Cold War-era platforms.