Classroom training has begun for the first batch of US-made M1A2T Abrams tanks that arrived in Taiwan in December last year, a military source said yesterday, adding that they could begin combat preparations in the second half of the year.
On Dec. 16, 38 M1A2T Abrams tanks and four M88A2 armored recovery vehicles arrived at the Port of Taipei before being transported to the Armor Training Command in Hsinchu County’s Hukou Township (湖口).
Prior to the tanks’ arrival, Taiwanese instructors training in the US returned in November last year to draft teaching materials, military officials said.
Photo: Military News Agency via EPA-EFE
A source told reporters that replacement training has already begun with the new tanks and combat service scheduled for the second half of this year, although plans are not yet finalized.
Before fielding the tanks, the army would hold assessments followed by a training period and further evaluations, the source said.
The M1A2T is a next-generation tank equipped with modern battlefield functions such as a computer fire control system, they said.
Most aspects of the M1A2T, such as performance characteristics, maintenance needs and safety regulations, require retraining even for soldiers familiar with the CM-11 or M60A3 tanks, the source said.
As such, classroom training would be the primary focus, rather than tank operation, they added.
To avoid delays in training, a new tank proving ground in Hsinchu County’s Kengzihkou (坑子口) is being constructed in stages and is ready for the new tanks, the army said in a news release last year.
The upgrades to the training facility include a new multiuse shooting range to enable operators of the M1A2T Abrams tanks to practice firing at night and while moving, a range extension to 1.8km from 1.34km and new target platforms that can move automatically.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
About 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The growth continues to be consistent, with the fourth quarter of this year expected to be the peak in Taiwan, the agency said, adding that it plans to promote Taiwan overseas via partnerships and major events. From January to June, 9.14 million international departures were recorded from Taiwan, an 11 percent increase from the same period last year, with 3.3 million headed for Japan, 1.52 million for China and 832,962 to South Korea,
RSS