Taiwan is finally set to receive the long-awaited M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) from the United States later this month, at a time when China has vowed “resolute countermeasures” over continued US arms sales to Taipei.
Taiwanese media recently reported, citing an unnamed source with knowledge of the matter, that the first shipment of M1A2T Abrams tanks should arrive in Taiwan by mid-December. However, the source said shipping-related logistics may impact the delivery time.
The development comes months after a rail enthusiast observed a freight train hauling Abrams tanks near the La Plata train station in Missouri on September 23, 2024. A video of the transit was reportedly posted to YouTube, sparking speculations that the delivery was imminent after long delays.
Notably, the M1A2T tanks headed for Taiwan are painted in green jungle camouflage, akin to the existing M60A3 Patton and CM-11 Brave Tiger tanks in service with the Republic of China Army (RoCA). This contrasts with the desert camouflage used on M1 Abrams operated by the United States and Middle Eastern states.
The report further noted that dozens of Army instructors who had attended equipment training in the United States returned to Taiwan last month, and the second phase of training will be initiated again in February 2025, after the Lunar Year.
Previous reports suggested that training will include stop-and-shoot and shoot-on-the-move drills in which the troops will learn to hit stationary targets 1,600 meters away and moving targets 1,800 meters away.
Taiwan is slated to receive 38 M1A2T by the end of this year, 42 in 2025, and the remaining 28 in 2026. The acquisition of Abrams tanks is part of Taiwan’s strategy to fortify its defense capabilities along the northern coast and reinforce its overall national defense posture.
Earlier, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) stated that the Abrams may prove superior to the PLA’s Type 99 main battle tank due to greater mobility, protection capabilities, and firepower.
While the lackluster performance of the Abrams in Ukraine has caused concerns about its effectiveness within some quarters, most Taiwanese officials and military experts believe that the country needs a combat-hardened tank to take on the Chinese forces. Some of them flagged modern combat’s “changing dynamics” to underscore the vulnerabilities of tanks in general and not the Abrams specifically.
Experts have noted that while any cross-strait conflict between the two states is expected to take place on the sea and in the air, Taiwan would still need significant ground-based firepower to attack Chinese tanks that might roll inside the island state as part of an invasion. Moreover, Taiwan believes that the capability of these cutting-edge tanks to shoot from mountaintops will be essential in thwarting an invasion.
The sale of 108 M1A2 Abrams MBTs was approved by the US State Department in 2019, with delivery scheduled for 2022. However, the delivery of the MBT and a host of other equipment have been running behind schedule.
The delivery of the US-origin MBT comes at a very crucial time as China has stepped up its military activity near Taiwan, frequently simulating the encirclement and invasion of the self-ruled island. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) forces conducted Joint Sword-2024A and Joint Sword-2024B military drills in May and October, respectively. A third iteration of these drills appears to be imminent.
That said, the delivery of these tanks is likely to cause further conflagration between the US and China, which continues to oppose the arms sales to Taiwan.
China-US Relationship Strained Over Taiwan
China recently lambasted the US approval of a potential US$385 million military aid package for Taiwan, which includes the possible sale of spare parts for F-16 aircraft, Active Electronically Scanned Array Radars, and associated equipment to the island state.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry blasted the US announcement in a statement, saying that the sale sends “a wrong signal” and undermines U.S.-China relations. A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the US arms supplies to the Taiwan region are a grave violation of China’s sovereignty and security interests, as well as the one-China principle.
China has repeatedly accused the US of turning Taiwan into a powder keg nation for its selfish interest.
The US adheres to the ‘One China’ principle and does not diplomatically recognize Taiwan. However, The TRA (Taiwan Relations Act) requires the US to have a policy “to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character” and “to maintain the capacity of the United States to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan.”
Earlier this year, China imposed unprecedented sanctions and froze the Chinese-owned assets of two US firms: General Dynamics Land Systems and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. The company, which is sanctioned by China, helps manufacture Abrams.
In addition to the arms sale, China also blasted the US over Taiwanese President William Lai’s visit to US territories in the Pacific, including Guam and Hawaii.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning emphasized China’s opposition to Lai traveling through the US “under any name or pretext,” denouncing Washington for “condoning or supporting ‘Taiwan independence’ separatists and their activities in any form.”
Lai’s visit has been criticized by China as “political manipulation” and a “provocation,” and additional military exercises surrounding Taiwan are being threatened in retaliation.
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