Taiwan is anxiously awaiting the delivery of its first increment of M1A2T Main Battle Tanks from the United States which are scheduled to arrive sometime in mid-December 2024.
Request for the tanks was initially made and finally approved by the US government in 2019 with a formal order placed later that year. The M1A2T is the latest Sep V2 version with some adaptions made for the Taiwan army. The government budgeted NT$40.525 billion (US$1.24 billion) over the period from 2019 to 2027 to purchase one-hundred and eight M1A2T tanks as well as training and support.
The new MBTs are expected to be assigned to the 6th Army Command located in the northern area. The Taiwan variant is understood to reflect the primary characteristics and performance of the tanks fielded to other export users like Australia. Enhancements have been made to the digital fire control system according to sources in Taiwan that provide the crew the ability to more rapidly detect, acquire, engage and destroy targets at long ranges. This includes second-generation thermal sights for both the gunner and a panoramic commander’s sight offering “hunter-killer” capabilities.
Armour protection is anticipated to be based on composites with performance equivalent or better than the other exported M1A2 MBTs. The tank is equipped with the 120 mm M256 L/44 Smoothbore Gun, which can fire armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) and high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds. It has proven highly accurate and able to engage targets at extreme ranges with precision. The Taiwanese Army is also purchasing the General Dynamics KE-W A1 APFSDS-T round that has been specifically developed for export. Taiwan purchasing more than 7,800 of this ammunition. The tank is also equipped with a 7.62mm M240C coaxial machine gun and a M153A1E1 CROWS-LP (Low-Profile) remote-controlled M2HB .50 calibre weapons station.
The initial two M1A2T tanks were earlier turned over to a team of eight-four soldiers of the Taiwan Army in the United States earlier allowing them to become thoroughly familiar with the tank. They subsequently have been preparing a full training package which will be utilized to train crews in Taiwan on the tank. This crew training is scheduled to begin in February of 2025.
Local sources suggest the M1A2T will be assigned to the 584th Armoured Brigade located in the city of Hsinchu and to the 269th Mechanized Infantry Brigade in Taoyuan. Preparations for receiving the new tanks have been underway for some time. To support their arrival, accommodate maintenance and training facilities have been constructed, firing ranges prepared and surrounding road modernized.
The new M1A2T tanks are programmed for delivery with thirty-eight this month in 2024, forty-two in 2025, and twenty-eight in 2026. These will significantly enhance Taiwan’s armoured capabilities.
Currently Taiwan has around one-thousand older MBTs including M60A3, CM-11 Brave Tiger, and CM-12. The CM-11 is a local development using the M60 chassis with the turret from the M48 with the 105mm M68A1 cannon and the fire control system of the M1A1 Abrams. The CM-12, another local project, is a modified M48 with 105mm cannon and new fire controls. It is understood that the M1A2T are replacing these CM-12s. In addition, four-hundred-and sixty of the M60A3 fleet have been since 2022 upgraded replacing the current 750hp AVDS-1790-2C engines with the 1,050hp AVDS-1790-8CR engines. It has been reported that additional upgrades may be provided including digital and mobility enhancements. These are driven by concerns over the aging tank’s capabilities.
In addition, to the M1A2T Taiwan is to received other weapon systems that will enhance is defensive capabilities. These include eleven M142 HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems along with sixty-four MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles to be delivered through 2025 with another eighteen to be ordered by 2027. The country also received two hundred FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank guided missiles in 2024 added to those already delivered in 2023. It has also received 1,240 BGM-71 TOW-2B RF ATGMs further enhancing the ground force’s the anti-tank capabilities.
by Stephen W. Miller
