Taiwan nears full deployment of US-made Abrams tanks
The Ministry of National Defense of Taiwan confirmed it remains on track to complete delivery of all 108 U.S.-made M1A2T Abrams main battle tanks by early 2026, reinforcing the Army’s ground combat capabilities.
According to a report submitted to the Legislative Yuan, the second batch of 42 tanks is scheduled to be completed and delivered by the end of the second quarter of 2025.
This follows the successful delivery of the first 38 combat vehicles in December 2024. The remaining 28 tanks are expected to be delivered by the first quarter of 2026.
The M1A2T acquisition program, budgeted at NT$40.5 billion (approximately $1.26 billion), was launched in 2019 to replace aging armored platforms and modernize Taiwan’s land forces in response to growing threats from China. The U.S. formally approved the sale under the Foreign Military Sales program.
The delivery schedule is proceeding on time. To ensure quality and adherence to deadlines, Taiwan has deployed liaison officers to conduct inspections every two months at the U.S. Army’s tank production facilities.
The M1A2T is a Taiwan-specific variant of the U.S. Army’s M1A2 Abrams SEP v2, equipped with a 120mm smoothbore cannon, upgraded fire control systems, and enhanced protection features.
Taiwanese defense officials confirmed that the first batch of tanks is undergoing conversion training and will participate in live-fire exercises next month. The newly formed armored units are expected to be operational by the second half of 2025.
Once delivery is complete, the 269th Mechanized Infantry Brigade stationed in Linkou will receive a full company of M1A2Ts. Ten tanks will be assigned to the Army’s training command in Hsinchu, with the remaining units distributed to the 584th Armored Brigade for complete force integration.
The defense ministry emphasized that the program is progressing according to plan, noting the tanks will play a critical role in enhancing Taiwan’s deterrence posture through greater mobility, firepower, and survivability in a high-threat environment.