Taiwan activates first U.S.-made M1A2T Abrams battalion amid growing pressure from China.

Taiwan commissioned its first M1A2T Abrams tank battalion on October 31, 2025, at Hukou base in Hsinchu County, marking the operational introduction of U.S.-made main battle tanks into its Army.

Taiwan officially commissioned its first M1A2T Abrams battalion at Hukou military base on October 31, 2025. The ceremony, led by President Lai Ching-te and senior defense officials, marked the first deployment of U.S.-manufactured Abrams tanks within the Taiwanese Army, also known as the Republic of China Army. The unit’s integration completes a key phase of the 2019 Foreign Military Sales program and expands Taiwan’s armored readiness in its northern defense sector.
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The M1A2T Abrams tank is a key element of Taiwan’s five-layer coastal defense framework, which includes long-range anti-ship missiles, artillery and rocket systems, attack helicopters, inland missile batteries, as well as armored counterattack units. (Picture source: Taiwanese Army)

President Lai Ching-te presided over the ceremony, joined by Defense Minister Wellington Koo, Army Commander General Lü Kun-hsiu, senior officers, and representatives of the American Institute in Taiwan. The 3rd Combined Arms Battalion of the 584th Armored Brigade is the first unit in the Taiwanese Army to transition from CM11 Brave Tiger tanks to M1A2Ts, forming the spearhead of Taiwan’s new-generation armored forces. The event included a formal exchange between the commanders of CM11 and M1A2T units, a 21-gun salute, and an inspection by the president, symbolizing the integration of the tanks into Taiwan’s operational order of battle. President Lai stated that new equipment requires adapted training, new doctrines, and an asymmetric approach to strengthen deterrence and implement Taiwan’s national defense strategy based on resolute defense and multilayered deterrence.

The M1A2T procurement was formalized through a U.S. Foreign Military Sales agreement approved in July 2019, with a total contract value of $2 billion for 108 tanks, 14 M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicles, 16 M1070A1 heavy equipment transporters, and 16 M1000 trailers. Taiwan allocated NT$40.5 billion ($1.31 billion) from fiscal years 2019 to 2027 for the project, representing the island’s first new tank acquisition in over three decades. The first batch of 38 tanks arrived in December 2024, the second batch of 42 was delivered to Taipei Port on July 28, 2025, and the final 28 tanks are expected in early 2026. All vehicles were manufactured at Anniston Army Depot and the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio, under the supervision of U.S. liaison officers conducting bi-monthly inspections. Ten of the first batch are retained at the Armor Training Command for crew instruction, while the remaining units have been distributed to the 584th Armored Brigade in Hsinchu and the 269th Mechanized Infantry Brigade in Linkou to reinforce the defense of northern Taiwan.

The M1A2T Abrams is a Taiwan-specific variant of the M1A2 SEP v2 Abrams main battle tank designed to meet the requirements of the Taiwanese Army. It retains the 120 mm M256 L/44 smoothbore cannon capable of firing armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) and high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) ammunition, including the export-oriented KE-W A1 APFSDS-T round with penetration capacity of approximately 850 mm of homogeneous steel. Secondary armament includes a coaxial 7.62 mm M240 machine gun, a loader-operated M240, and a 12.7 mm M2 Browning heavy machine gun mounted in a Low-Profile Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (LP-CROWS). The tank’s fire control architecture supports advanced hunter-killer functionality, with the commander and gunner able to acquire and engage targets independently using independent thermal sights, laser rangefinders, and ballistic computers capable of generating up to 30 firing solutions per second. The tank is also equipped with an Ammunition DataLink for programmable munitions such as the M1147 Advanced Multi-Purpose (AMP) round, offering airburst, delay, and impact modes.

Protection and survivability are provided through composite armor supplemented with explosive reactive armor tiles, replacing the depleted uranium armor used on U.S. Army variants due to export restrictions. The M1A2T does not feature the Trophy active protection system but compensates with electronic and structural enhancements. A turret-mounted Auxiliary Cooling and Power System (ACPS) allows electronic operation without engine idling, supporting thermal imaging and network connectivity during extended stationary missions. Each tank integrates Taiwan’s own battle management system and the Inter-Vehicular Information System (IVIS) for real-time data exchange across units. Weighing between 68 and 72 tonnes depending on configuration, the tank measures approximately 10 meters in length (with gun forward), 3.65 meters in width, and 2.9 meters in height. Propulsion is provided by a Honeywell AGT1500C gas turbine producing 1,500 horsepower, enabling a maximum road speed of 67 kilometers per hour and an operational range of 426 kilometers on internal fuel reserves.

Training for M1A2T crews began in early 2025 at the Hukou Armor Training Command following the arrival of U.S.-trained instructors. In July 2025, four tanks participated in a live-fire exercise at the newly constructed Kengzikou Range in Hsinchu County as part of the Han Kuang 41 military drills. During the exercise, the tanks conducted both static and on-the-move firing, engaging stationary and moving targets modeled after Chinese PLA armor, firing a total of 19 rounds and achieving full hit accuracy. President Lai attended the exercise and inspected the firing line. The Kengzikou range, completed in May 2025, features a 609-meter ballistic ceiling and a 5.56-kilometer safety radius for 120 mm rounds. A secondary sub-caliber range and a tactical driving course are under construction at Chang’an camp, with completion expected in 2026. The Ministry of National Defense allocated NT$648.93 million for related infrastructure, reporting progress 5.51 percent ahead of schedule by mid-2025, enabling the release of previously withheld funds by the Legislative Yuan.

Strategically, the M1A2T integrates into Taiwan’s five-layer coastal defense framework, which includes long-range anti-ship missiles, artillery and rocket systems such as Thunderbolt-2000 and HIMARS, attack helicopters like the AH-64E Apache, inland missile batteries, and armored counterattack units. The 584th Armored Brigade, under the Sixth Army Corps, is assigned to defend the Red Beaches, Taoyuan, Zhubei, and Hsinchu corridors, while the 269th Mechanized Infantry Brigade in Linkou secures approaches to Taipei. Analysts from the Institute for National Defense and Security Research suggest that in case of invasion, M1A2Ts would likely serve in inland urban and counteroffensive operations rather than on exposed coastal fronts. As part of this modernization, older CM-12 tanks have been retired, M60A3s are receiving selective 1,050-horsepower engine upgrades, and CM-11 Brave Tigers are being stored in reserve. The M1A2T’s deployment is intended to reinforce northern Taiwan’s defense in scenarios of amphibious landings or airborne assaults.

The introduction of the M1A2T Abrams coincides with a wider modernization effort across the Taiwanese Army, which also includes M142 HIMARS launchers, M1167 HMMWV TOW missile carriers, MGM-140 ATACMS tactical missiles, 14 M-136 Volcano mine-laying systems, PAC-3 MSE air defense systems, BGM-71 TOW-2B and FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missiles, and FIM-92 Stinger systems. Taiwan has received 64 ATACMS and 1,240 TOW-2B missiles, with 29 HIMARS units scheduled for full integration by 2026. In addition, 66 F-16V Block 70/72 fighter aircraft, Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers, and Altius-600M loitering munitions complement the ground component’s modernization. The M1A2T and HIMARS systems are expected to reach initial operational capability in late 2025, with full integration into the C4ISR network planned by 2026. President Lai reaffirmed that investments in defense are aimed at maintaining stability, stating that “investment in defense is investment in peace,” and emphasized opposition to annexation or forced unification.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.