Taiwan’s acquisition of its first 80 Abrams—38 delivered in December 2024 and 42 in this shipment—stems from a 2019 Foreign Military Sale authorizing up to 108 tanks. The M1A2T variant features advanced metal-ceramic composite armor, a 120 mm smoothbore main gun, a .50-caliber heavy MG, and M240 support machine guns. Powered by a Honeywell AGT1500 turbine engine (1,500 hp), the tank can exceed 40 mph with a 260-mile range. Crew training commenced in early 2025, and Taipei has planned large-scale live-fire exercises to integrate the fleet. As Beijing’s military pressure grows, these Abrams tanks bolster Taiwan’s deterrence and armored warfare capabilities.
