TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s military will deploy all 108 of its M1A2T Abrams tanks in northern Taiwan.

Once all the US-made tanks have been delivered, the military plans to allocate 10 M1A2T tanks to the Army’s Armor Training Command in Hukou, Hsinchu, Liberty Times reported. 

The Army’s 269th Brigade, responsible for the defense of the Linkou Plateau, will equip a company with Abrams tanks. Additionally, the 584th Brigade, a combined-arms unit under the Army’s 6th Corps based in Hsinchu’s Hukou, will replace its existing CM11 tanks with Abrams tanks, significantly enhancing its combat capability.

The US approved the sale of tanks and related equipment to Taiwan in 2019. Taiwan set a budget of over NT$40.5 billion (US$1.25 billion) to cover the procurement costs. The Army will receive the tanks in three batches between 2023 and 2026.

The first batch of 38 tanks is set to arrive in Taiwan by mid-December. However, the exact arrival date may change due to uncertainties in shipping schedules.