Taiwan seeks 120 M1A1 Abrams tanks from US
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) has formally requested 120 second-hand General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) M1A1 Abrams MBTs from the US.
This figure is down considerably from the 200 units it previously envisaged in mid-2012.
Taiwan hopes first delivery of these excess defence articles from the US will occur in 2017. It is not clear which variant the Republic of China Army (ROCA) is seeking, but it is likely to be the M1A1 AIM (Abrams Integrated Management).
GDLS is currently upgrading a number of older US Army M1A1 tanks to the latest M1A2 SEP (System Enhancement Package) V2 configuration.
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Land Warfare
-
Europe commits to long-range fires but countries move in different directions
Sweden, Croatia and France are pursuing different rocket artillery solutions as European armies seek greater reach, survivability and industrial resilience.
-
MAAF to test Britain’s shift from armour to distributed lethality in Estonia
The bilateral agreement between the UK and Estonia comes as both countries explore how dispersed troops, drones, digital targeting, anti-tank weapons and increasingly long-range fires can complement the combat mass traditionally provided by heavy armour.
-
Polaris expands Arctic mobility offering as US military orders grow
The Military 850 Voyageur 155 Crossover has secured orders from the US Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, addressing demand for agile Arctic mobility with passenger, cargo and towing capacity.