The military is researching acquiring 120mm caliber guns for its fleet of M60-A3 Patton tanks amid claims that the current main guns — which are 105mm — are incapable of penetrating the armor of the T-96, the mainstay tank of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
According to a report by the Chinese-language Apple Daily, the military has 1,200 tanks — a mix of Pattons and the M48H tanks developed by General Dynamics and Army Armored Vehicle Development Center— all of which are armed with 105mm main guns.
The Ministry of National Defense is looking to launch a joint research project with the Army Command Headquarters and the Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology to develop 120mm guns, which the Apple Daily claimed are capable of penetrating armor up to 700mm thick.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
The ministry is also mulling the possibility of purchasing second-hand M1A1 Abrams tanks from the US to upgrade its aging tanks.
Editor-in-chief of Asia-Pacific Defense Magazine Kevin Cheng (鄭繼文) said the ministry must ensure its aware of the pros and cons of conducting its own research.
If successful, the move would increase the capability of the nation’s tanks, as well as putting Taiwan on the road to perhaps building its own tanks, Cheng said, adding that the research nevertheless runs the risk of failing and it carries a hefty price tag.
Should the ministry purchase second-hand M1A1 Abrams tanks, it would increase the capability of the armed forces, while removing the risks associated with the ministry conducting its own research, Cheng said.
While the ministry has considered listing the M1A2 Abrams tanks as an item it would like to purchase, US military observers of the Han Kuang exercises said that the M1A2 might not perform to its full capacity due to Taiwan’s geography and the nature of its enemy.
The ministry has therefore turned to upgrading its existing Patton tanks and it might even consider manufacturing its own tanks in Taiwan, officials said.
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