TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan showcased the firepower of its newly acquired M1A2T tanks (M1A2T戰車) for the first time at Hsinchu on Thursday (July 10) in a live-fire exercise. President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) attended the event, where all 19 tank rounds hit their targets, demonstrating the tanks' precision and performance.
The military conducted various shooting exercises, including static-to-static, static-to-moving, and moving-to-moving scenarios. Lieutenant Colonel Pao-Shun Ting (丁寶順), battalion commander of the 584th Armored Brigade (584旅), confirmed that all tank rounds hit their marks, affirming the tanks' capabilities.
Taiwan received the first batch of 38 M1A2T tanks from the United States late last year. The tanks finally debuted today after more than six months of integration and training. Despite coinciding with the Han Kuang 41 exercise (漢光41號演習), the M1A2T tanks were not part of the official drill as these tanks are not yet commissioned.
Equipped with a 120 mm smoothbore gun, the M1A2T surpasses the firepower of the current 105 mm tanks. The tanks boast a 1,500-horsepower gas turbine engine, achieving road speeds of up to 67 kph and 40 kph off-road.