The first batch of 38 of a planned 108 M1A2T Abrams main battle tanks procured by Taipei from the US has arrived in Taiwan, Taiwanese media reported on Sunday.
A special purpose cargo ship carrying the armored vehicles docked at Taipei Port in the morning, Liberty Times reported.
On Monday, the tanks will be unloaded onto trucks and transported to Hsinchu, 84 kilometers (52 miles) away from Taipei, the outlet added.
Induction will be with the Army Installation and Training Department in Hukou, Hsinchu, with training commencing after the Spring Festival holiday next year on January 29.
M1A2T Abrams for Taiwan
The US approved the $2-billion tank sale in 2019, bolstering Taipei’s armored fleet consisting of 460 M60A3 tanks based on the American M60 first inducted in 1959.
The second and third batch of 42 and 28 M1A2Ts are expected to arrive by 2026.
The Abrams will replace the Taiwanese Army’s 450 CM11 tanks operational with the 584th Brigade.
The CM11 was jointly developed by the Taiwanese Army and General Dynamics, with the first induction taking place in 1990.
It is essentially a hybrid of the M60 chassis, the turret of the M48 Patton, and the fire control system of the M1 Abrams.
Other Inductions
Taiwan received a slew of defense platforms in the last month or so, enabling the island territory to ramp up its defense preparedness against a much larger China.
Taipei received its first batch of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems from the US recently along with the first batch of 11 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems.
Before that, the self-governing territory received its first batch of Harpoon anti-ship missile systems from the US in October.
Meanwhile, Taipei signed a formal agreement for the purchase of 1,000 attack drones from the US in November.
Additionally, the US approved the sale of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and AN/TPS-77 and AN/TPS-78 long-range radars to Taiwan for $1.94 billion.