According to the 2023 edition of the “Military Assessment” published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies [IISS] Established in London, the Taiwanese army currently has around 750 tanks of old design, namely 300 M60A3 TTS “Patton” and 450 CM-11 “Brave Tiger”, produced locally from an M60 chassis and a turret. of M48 equipped with the fire control system of the M1A1 Abrams.
In 2018, the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense announced its intention to acquire 108 M1A2T Abrams tanks, 14 M88A2 Hercules recovery vehicles and 16 M1070A1 trucks from the United States. A year later, responsible for exports of American military equipment under the so-called FMS procedure [Foreign Military Sales]la Defense Security Agency [DSCA] gave the green light to this sale, the amount of which was then estimated at around $2 billion.
Initially, Taipei had considered procuring at least 200 M1A2 Abrams. But, having other military programs to finance, this ambition was therefore revised downwards. In return, it was decided to modernize the M60A3 TTS Patton, by providing them with a more powerful engine. [1000 chevaux au lieu de 750]a new fire control system, a 120 mm cannon [à la place de celui de 105 mm]a ballistic computer and an automatic loading device.
Regardless, the Taiwanese army had to be patient to receive its first M1A2T Abrams. Five years after the favorable opinion from the DSCA, a first batch of 38 tanks has just been delivered.
“The M1A2 tanks – the first batch of 108 ordered in 2019 – arrived in Taiwan on Sunday evening and were transferred to an army training base in Hsinchu, south of Taipei,” the ministry said Taiwanese Defense Minister, this December 16.
Which is an event in itself given that, as the semi-official CNA news agency points out, the Taiwanese army has not received new tanks for at least 30 years.
During the first term of President Donald Trump, and in addition to these 108 M1A2 Abrams tanks, Taiwan had ordered a significant number of military equipment and munitions of American origin, including 66 F-16 “Viper” fighter-bombers, 135 missiles of cruise AGM-84 SLAM ER, 400 anti-ship missiles RGM-84L-4 Harpoon Block II, 1649 anti-tank missiles [Javelin et Tow] and 11 M142 HIMARS artillery systems [High Mobility Artillery Rocket System].
However, with the disruptions in supply chains caused by the covid-19 pandemic and the priority given by Washington to Ukraine and Israel, the deliveries expected by the Taiwanese army have often fallen behind schedule.
Thus, 11 M142 HIMARS systems were handed over to the Taiwanese army by Lockheed-Martin last November, four after the signing of the order form. Note that Taipei intends to acquire 18 more, the purchase of M119 howitzers having been canceled.
As for the arrival of the first M1A2 Abrams on the island, it aroused, as one might expect, criticism from China. Thus, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged Washington to “stop arming Taiwan […] and to support Taiwanese independence forces.”
And added: “The attempt by the Taiwanese authorities to seek independence through force and foreign aid is doomed to failure” and “China will firmly defend its national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity” .
