Taiwan has received the second batch of 42 M1A2T Abrams main battle tanks it purchased from the US.
The vehicles were received at the Port of Taipei in Bali District and transported to the Republic of China Army Armor Training Command in Hsinchu’s Hukou Township, where they will be distributed across heavy platform operators.
Handover of the package was originally scheduled for last week but was delayed due to nearby storms, according to local news agency Taiwan News.
Following the acceptance, some of the tanks were moved from the port to the army base via flatbed trucks. They were concealed with black sheets and transported on Provincial Highway No. 61 with assistance from the armed forces security force and local police traffic units.
Heavy Tanks for Taiwan
The East Asian country procured the modern battle tanks as part of its effort to strengthen its defense posture amid increasing security concerns in the region, particularly the constant threat of invasion by China.
In 2019, Washington approved the foreign military sale of its homegrown Abrams systems to Taipei, with the orders covering provision of up to 108 vehicles.
In December 2024, the Taiwanese government received the first 38 Abrams from the US. Taipei’s armed forces began training on the tanks two months later.
In June, the country announced it would conduct a large-scale Abrams live-fire training for familiarization with the new fleet.
The Abrams System
General Dynamics developed the Abrams tank to strengthen ground combat capabilities for the US military and allied forces. It was launched in the 1980s and has undergone multiple upgrades since then.
The latest variant, the M1A2, features a next-generation chassis, weighs 134,000 pounds (60,781 kilograms), measures 32 feet (10 meters) long, and is operated by a crew of four.
It is equipped with metal-ceramic composite armor, M240 support machine guns, a .50-caliber heavy machine gun, and a 120-millimeter main gun.
The Abrams is powered by a Honeywell AGT1500 turbine engine with an output of 1,500 horsepower, enabling speeds of more than 40 miles (64 kilometers) per hour and a range of 260 miles. (418 kilometers).
