Taiwan Activates First M1A2T Abrams Tank Battalion
Taiwan has activated its first M1A2T Abrams main battle tank (MBT) battalion as part of the Republic of China (ROC) Armed Forces’ modernization efforts.
The battalion, comprising US-supplied Abrams tanks, will be operated by the 3rd Combined Arms Battalion under the 584th Armored Brigade. It will replace the military’s aging CM-11 Brave Tiger tanks.
Washington approved Taipei’s request for 108 Abrams MBTs in July 2019. The East Asian country received the first batch of 38 in December 2024 and the following 42-unit tranche in July 2025.
The third and final batch, comprising 28 tanks, is slated for delivery in 2026.
Meanwhile, the Taiwanese army began training on the first batch received in February, under the guidance of US-trained Taiwanese military instructors.
Boosting Defense Posture
President Lai Ching-te attended the M1A2T Abrams battalion’s commissioning ceremony held at the Hukou military base in Hsinchu County, located in the country’s northwest.
He emphasized that modern equipment must be paired with updated training and thinking to fully realize Taiwan’s asymmetric warfare strategy under the principle of “resolute defense and multilayered deterrence.”
The M1A2T mounts a 120-mm smoothbore gun capable of piercing up to 850 mm of rolled steel at combat range.
It also includes a hunter-killer sighting system, digital controls, a remote weapon station, and a networked information system that lets crews share data with nearby units.
The Abrams’ primary role will not be for coastal defense. Instead, it will be deployed in urban warfare, Focus Taiwan quoted Sheu Jyh-shyang from the Institute for National Defense and Security Research as saying.
Retired military officer and author Huang Chun-min shared the same view, but added that the MBTs would likely be used for traditional beach counterattacks as well.
The activation of the M1A2T Abrams Battalion comes as Taiwan continues a series of defense modernization efforts, including the unveiling of a three-tiered drone strategy and accelerated development of the T-Dome multi-layered air defense system.
