The US has delivered 38 Abrams battle tanks to Taiwan. These are the first new tanks for the island in 30 years.
Points of attention
- Taiwan receives 38 new Abrams battle tanks from the US, marking the first new tanks for the island in 30 years.
- The delivery of advanced M1A2 tanks enhances Taiwan's defense capabilities and replaces outdated models, improving the island's security.
- Supply chain disruptions due to Covid-19 have caused delays in arms shipments to Taiwan, with a backlog of supplies currently valued at $21 billion.
Taiwan receives new Abrams tanks from the US
Taiwan's Ministry of Defense reported on December 16 that the M1A2 tanks — the first batch of 108 ordered in 2019 — arrived in Taiwan late Sunday night and were transferred to an army training base in Hsinchu, south of Taipei.
According to local media, the M1A2s are the first new tanks delivered to Taiwan in the last 30 years.
Taiwan's current tank force consists of about 1,000 Taiwanese-made CM 11 Brave Tiger tanks and American-made M60A3 tanks, but they are outdated.
Taiwan faces a constant threat of invasion from China, which seeks to take control of the island. China's Foreign Ministry on December 16 called on the United States to "stop arming Taiwan... and support Taiwan independence forces."
With its own defense industry, Taiwan relies heavily on weapons from the United States to bolster its defense capabilities. In 2019, Taiwan ordered state-of-the-art M1A2 tanks, costing more than $1.2 billion. The rest of the order is expected to be delivered in 2025 and 2026.
Although the supply of US arms to Taiwan is enshrined in law, a huge backlog caused by supply chain disruptions due to Covid-19 and the supply of US arms to Ukraine and Israel has slowed supplies to Taiwan.
According to the Washington-based Cato Institute, supplies worth $21 billion are currently delayed.
In 2024, Taipei allocated a record $19 billion to its military, and next year's budget is set to reach a new high as it includes funding for enhanced defense.
China does not abandon its intentions to attack Taiwan
Official Taipei draws attention to the connection between Taiwanese President Lai Tsing-de's visits to the United States and the large deployment of Chinese naval forces.
It is quite possible that this was a show of force on Beijing's part.
We cannot ignore the fact that the PRC has announced a partial restriction of air traffic for two days in seven zones covering the coast from Shanghai to Hong Kong.
On December 9, Taiwan's Ministry of Defense set up an emergency response center and conducted a surprise drill. According to officials, the threat level was serious.
