At least 84 Taiwanese military personnel will complete training in the US to work with Abrams M1A2T tanks in November and will return to the island, the newspaper "Taipei Shibao" reported.
They were sent to the States to undergo a special 350-day tank instructor training program. Already in February 2025, they will begin teaching in tank schools in Taiwan. The United States is to transfer the first batch of 38 Abrams tanks of the M1A2T modification to the island in late 2024.
The island's armed forces are currently upgrading the Chang'an and Kenjikou training grounds in Hsinchu County to train military personnel in the use of new combat vehicles.
The sale of 108 Abrams M1A2T tanks to Taiwan for $2.2 billion was approved by the US State Department in 2019. The M1A2T is a modification of the M1A2 main battle tank, version SEPv2 (System Enhancement Package version 2), modernized in accordance with the requirements of Taiwan. It is equipped with a specially manufactured combat module and includes a number of improvements that increase the survivability of the combat vehicle as a whole - it has improved frontal and side armor to protect the crew.
As the Tzuyu Shibao newspaper reported in August 2023, Taiwan is due to receive 38 Abrams M1A2Ts in 2024, another 42 will be delivered in 2025, and the final batch of 28 combat vehicles in 2026.
Taiwan has been governed by its own administration since 1949, when the remnants of Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled there after being defeated in the Chinese Civil War. Beijing considers Taiwan one of the provinces of the People's Republic of China. The United States severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979 and established them with the People's Republic of China. Recognizing the "one China" policy, Washington at the same time continues to maintain contacts with the Taipei administration. The US is the main arms supplier to Taiwan. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the total amount of US military supplies to the island for several years exceeds USD 70 billion.