TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan has ordered 460 engines for its M60A3 TTS tanks on a budget of NT$7.24 billion ($238.92 million), reports said Friday (March 24).

For the past 30 years, the tank model has been the most prevalent in Taiwan’s military, serving on the islands of Kinmen and Penghu as well as on the east coast. However, the armed forces have run out of spare engines, requiring them to sign a new contract with Michigan-based RENK America, the manufacturer of the tanks.

The agreement, which remains valid until March 2028, also covers the upgrading of the weapons fire-control system, the Liberty Times reported. The new engines will be more reliable, resilient, and easier to maintain, according to the military.

The main target for the M60A3 during an armed conflict would be China’s amphibious landing vehicles, which would be at their most vulnerable while operating on beaches due to the absence of heavy armored plating. The tank took part in exercises simulating the repulsion of an enemy invasion on and around a beach in Taoyuan City Thursday (March 23).