A second batch of 42 M1A2T Abrams tanks purchased from the US arrived at the Port of Taipei on Sunday and were transported in the early hours of yesterday to the army’s Armored Training Command in Hsinchu’s Hukou Township (湖口).
At about 12:10am, the tanks, covered in black, waterproof tarps, were seen exiting the port on large civilian flatbed trailers. Police and military vehicles escorted the convoy along the West Coast Expressway to the training base, with traffic controls enforced along the route.
The tanks were originally scheduled to arrive at the Port of Taipei on Saturday night, but their arrival was delayed due to typhoon-related weather conditions.
Photo: CNA
The army operates about 1,000 tanks, including the CM-11 Brave Tiger and M60A3 models, both of which have been in service for more than two decades.
The military has also invested in new engines for the M60A3s, and earmarked NT$40.52 billion (US$1.37 billion) from 2019 to 2027 to procure 108 M1A2T tanks from the US. These tanks would be deployed with the army’s Sixth Corps to bolster defenses in northern Taiwan.
The first batch of 38 M1A2Ts arrived in December last year and conducted their first live-fire exercise on July 10 at the Kengzikou Range in Hsinchu County. Four tanks fired a total of 19 rounds from their 120mm cannons at targets modeled after Chinese tanks, logging a perfect hit rate using the Hunter-Killer system.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
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