Taiwan has received 38 Abrams battle tanks from the United States, the island's defence ministry announced as it seeks to bolster its military capability in the event of a possible attack by China.
The M1A2 Abrams tanks arrived in Taiwan late on December 15 and were transferred to an army training base in Hsinchu, south of the capital Taipei, the ministry said, as quoted by AFP.
According to the Central News Agency, these models are the first new tanks to be delivered to Taiwan in 30 years.
In 2019, the government placed an order for 108 units worth more than $1.2 billion.
The rest are to be delivered in 2025 and 2026, a military official claimed.
Washington has long been Taipei's most important ally and its biggest arms supplier, angering Beijing, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory.
Taiwan's army currently has 1,000 tanks, either locally made such as the CM Brave Tiger or American designs such as the M60A3, whose technology is now obsolete.
In early November, Taiwan received its first batch of US HIMARS salvo launchers, which are already being used by Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.
Over the past five decades, the United States has sold Taiwan billions of dollars worth of military equipment and ammunition, including F-16 fighter jets and warships.
Historically, the United States has maintained a policy of "strategic ambiguity" regarding possible U.S. military intervention if Taiwan were attacked by China.
Since 1949, China and Taiwan have coexisted with separate governments, but Beijing maintains that the island is an integral part of its territory and does not rule out the use of force to take control of the territory.
In 2024 Taipei has allocated a record budget of $19 billion for its defence and next year the budget is expected to reach a new high. | BGNES
