The M1A2T Abrams tanks that Taiwan purchased from the US participated in a combat readiness exercise in Hsinchu on Tuesday, marking the first time they had operated outside their base.
The army’s 584th Armored Brigade conducted a battalion-level exercise to test troops’ ability to respond to contingencies and protect key facilities, the Military News Agency reported.
The drill involved the deployment of Abrams main battle tanks alongside armored and support vehicles, including CM-32, CM-33 and CM-34 infantry fighting vehicles, CM-22 mortar carriers and Humvees equipped with TOW anti-tank missiles, it reported.
Photo courtesy of the Military News Agency
Through the use of live troops, real terrain and actual vehicles, the exercise aimed to deepen battlefield familiarity while demonstrating the mobility and combat capabilities of the tanks, it said.
Before dawn, personnel completed checks of equipment, communications and vehicles. After receiving orders, the brigade commander delivered a mission briefing and issued operational instructions before leading the convoy out of the base, it said.
Upon arrival at the target area, the unit moved into tactical positions to conduct force protection tasks. By simulating realistic combat scenarios, troops familiarized themselves with the surrounding terrain, while continuing to refine joint operations and inter-unit coordination, the report said.
Photo: Fang Bin-chao, Taipei Times
Part of the exercise was to assess commanders’ ability to apply tactics and respond to changing situations, it said.
Taiwan in 2019 earmarked NT$40.52 billion (US$1.29 billion) to procure 108 Abrams tanks from the US. As of this month, it had received 80 of the tanks, with the remaining 28 scheduled to arrive in the first quarter of next year.
The tanks have shown that they can drive on civilian roads and bridges without damaging them, the report said, adding that this was a major concern over use of the heavily armored vehicles.
Weight concerns were mitigated by focusing on correct formation and allowing only one tank to cross a span at a time, it said.
Chen Kuo-ming (陳國銘), editor of Defense International magazine, said he observed only faint markings left by the rubber pads of tank tracks on Hsinchu’s roads, suggesting that infrastructure in the area could support armor without issue.
The new tanks have powerful engines that make them faster and more agile than the army’s older CM-11 and M60A3 tanks, necessitating practice runs to familiarize the tank crews with the new machines, Chen said.
Shu Hsiao-huang (舒孝煌), a research fellow at the state-run Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the patrol enabled officers and enlisted soldiers to adjust road march planning, tactics and driving methods to the Abrams tanks’ higher speed and larger size.
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