Taiwan debuts US-made Abrams tanks during live-fire drills as PLA flexes muscles

Taiwan’s military has live-streamed live-fire drills featuring its new M1A2T Abrams tanks in a show of force aimed at boosting public morale and highlighting combat readiness amid rising tensions with Beijing. The high-profile display on Thursday came just as mainland China ramped up its own military signalling across the Taiwan Strait. State broadcaster CCTV aired back-to-back footage of amphibious assault and reconnaissance drills conducted by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in the coastal province of Fujian, directly across the strait from Taiwan. The timing of the parallel manoeuvres underscored the escalating rivalry, with both sides flexing their military muscles and engaging in psychological signalling. The firepower demonstration in Taiwan on Thursday marked the official debut of the US-made tanks – touted as the world’s most powerful – after more than six months of integration and training. Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te oversaw the drills at a new army tank training ground in Hsinchu in northern Taiwan. He praised both the tank crews and the weapon system’s battlefield capabilities. “These tanks live up to their reputation as the most powerful on earth,” Lai said, adding that they would play a key role in Taiwan’s evolving defence strategy alongside drones and other modern tactics. The tanks are part of a NT$405 billion (US$13.9 billion) arms deal with the United States, under which Taiwan is buying 108 M1A2T Abrams tanks. The tanks are a “Taiwan-specific variant” based on the US Army’s M1A2 SEPv3. A total of 38 of them arrived in December. An additional 42 are expected to be delivered later this year and the final 28 are due next year. On Thursday, the second day of Taiwan’s 10-day, round-the-clock Han Kuang military exercise, four Abrams tanks fired simultaneously in a coordinated show of strength. Though the tanks have yet to be commissioned into formal combat units and were not officially part of this year’s Han Kuang scenario, the military used the occasion to test them under live-fire conditions. All 19 rounds fired from their 120mm smoothbore tank guns hit their targets, according to the island’s army command. The guns can pierce up to 850mm (33 inches) of steel armour and engage targets from as far as 4,000 metres (13,123 feet). The drills included both stationary and moving targets, and the rounds were fired from both static and moving positions. “The M1A2T features a 120mm smoothbore gun, a 1,500-horsepower engine, and composite armour with side skirts that protect the drivetrain, crew, and ammunition compartments,” said Captain Cheng Yu-chun, who previously trained with the US Army. Cheng said that compared to M60A3 and CM11 tanks, the M1A2T was a “major leap forward in firepower, mobility and protection”. Major General Chou Kuang-i, commander of the 584th Armoured Brigade, highlighted the tank’s advanced “hunter-killer” system. “It allows the gunner to engage a target while the commander uses an independent thermal sight to locate the next one,” Chou said. “This greatly increases engagement efficiency and situational awareness compared to older-generation tanks.” The island’s army also showcased its M88A2 armoured recovery vehicle and M1070 heavy transporters, which were delivered alongside the tanks to strengthen logistical support. The M88A2 offers stronger towing and recovery power than its predecessor, the M88A1, and is designed to operate with next-generation armoured platforms. According to Taiwan’s defence ministry, the full fleet of Abrams tanks will be assigned to the 6th Army Corps, which is responsible for defending northern Taiwan, home to the capital Taipei and key government institutions. Meanwhile, the PLA’s latest drills appeared to serve as a counter-display. Footage released by CCTV on Wednesday showed amphibious armoured units from the PLA’s 72nd Group Army engaging in live-fire exercises in waters off the south of Fujian. On Thursday, a second video featured reconnaissance troops from the 73rd Group Army conducting armed swimming, underwater combat and long-distance coastal infiltration drills. On the civilian front, Taiwan tested its air raid alert system on Wednesday morning. The drill simulated a PLA missile strike, triggering loudspeaker warnings across the island. In supermarkets, staff enacted shelter-in-place procedures, suspended operations, and guided customers to designated safety zones. Civil defence units practised evacuation, firefighting, and first aid protocols, highlighting efforts to improve public readiness alongside military preparedness. Beijing regards Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. It has boosted military activities around Taiwan since Lai took office as the island’s leader last year. Lai provoked the mainland by calling it a “foreign hostile force” and insisting that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait “are not subordinate to each other”. Like most countries, the United States does not recognise self-governed Taiwan as an independent state, but it opposes any forcible change to the cross-strait status quo and is legally obliged under the Taiwan Relations Act to help the island defend itself.

Taiwan debuts US-made Abrams tanks during live-fire drills as PLA flexes muscles

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Taiwanese military tests new M1A2T tanks during annual Han Kuang Exercise in show of force aimed at boosting morale, combat readiness

Taiwanese military tests new M1A2T tanks during annual Han Kuang Exercise in show of force aimed at boosting morale, combat readiness