The features of the new M1A2T Abrams main battle tanks of the Republic of China

After a long wait of five years, the Republic of China (Taiwan) finally received its first M1 Abrams tanks yesterday.

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The Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China published last night, at 5:02 CET, some images of these new tanks, of the M1A2T model, being transported from the port of Taipei to the Army Installation and Training Department in Hukou, Hsinchu, according to the Taiwanese media Liberty Times.

Heavy Armors Have Arrived!
Welcome to join us!#M1A2T #ROCArmy pic.twitter.com/OTXtU7pw5h

— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, ROC(Taiwan) 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) December 16, 2024

On July 8, 2019, during Donald Trump’s first term, the US Department of State approved the sale of 108 M1A2T Abrams to Taiwan, in addition to 122 Chrysler M-2 heavy machine guns of 12.7 mm (which are mounted in the commander’s hatch) and 216 M-240 machine guns of 7.62 mm caliber (the M1 Abrams uses these weapons as a coaxial machine gun, mounted next to the loader’s hatch).

The 108 Taiwanese M1A2Ts are scheduled to be shipped in three batches of 38, 42, and 28 units between 2024 and 2026. The first batch is reportedly the one that arrived in Taipei yesterday. The M1A2T is an export version for Taiwan of the M1A2 SEPv3, one of the most modern variants of the Abrams. The main difference between the American variant and the Taiwanese variant is that the latter lacks the depleted uranium armor, replacing it with FMS armor. The Abrams sold to Taiwan are newly built, unlike others in service, which have been built on existing tanks.

One of the doubts that existed was whether the M1A2T would carry the Trophy active protection system, which is included in the M1A2 SEPv3. These systems do not appear in the images published by the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China.

In addition to the tanks, the ROC will receive additional vehicles, namely 14 M-88A2 Hercules recovery vehicles (a model in service since 1991), 16 Oshkosh M1070A1 HET heavy trucks (used to tow the flatbed trailers used to transport the M1 Abrams), and plenty of ammunition for the Abrams’ 120mm main gun, machine guns, and smoke grenade launchers, among other equipment.

The Republic of China Army has an outdated tank fleet due to the reluctance of several US presidents to sell more modern tanks to Taiwan so as not to upset the communist dictatorship in Beijing. That policy changed under Trump during his first term, but the Biden administration has taken a very slow approach to sending these tanks, which significantly finally arrives after Trump's election victory in November.

According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies' "The Military Balance 2024", the ROC Armed Forces currently have 300 M60A3 TTS Pattons (above), operated by the Army (200 units) and the Marines (100 units). Taiwan purchased a total of 460 M60A3 TTS in the 1990s (160 in 1994 and 300 in 1996). The M60A3 TTS still in operation have been undergoing modernization since 2019 in collaboration with the Israeli company Elbit Systems.

In addition, since 1990 the Taiwanese Army has had 450 CM-11 Brave Tiger tanks (above), a Taiwanese-made hybrid vehicle with M48 Patton turrets, M60 chassis and M1 Abrams fire control. CM-11 chassis were purchased from the US in 1987 during Ronald Reagan’s term in office. Finally, the Taiwanese Army has in storage 100 CM-12 tanks, a Taiwanese version of the M48A3 with 105mm M68A1 guns.

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Photos: Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China.