Taiwan has formally inducted its first U.S.-made M1A2T Abrams main battle tanks into service, with President Lai Ching-te hailing the deployment as a major milestone in the island’s military modernization and a symbol of its determination to defend its sovereignty against growing pressure from communist China.
At a ceremony at an army base in Hsinchu, the Taiwanese president handed the new Abrams tanks over to the 584th Armored Brigade, the first unit to replace its older tanks with the U.S.-made models, according to an Oct. 31 military press release. The event included a gun salute, a troop inspection, and a formal handover between the old and new tank units.
