The army’s long-awaited first shipment of 38 of the 108 ordered US-made M1A2T tanks arrived on Sunday last week. The same shipment also included four M88A2 armored recovery vehicles. The M1A2T is not only the most powerful tank available, it is also the first new model procured by our military in more than 30 years. Its maneuverability, firepower and defensive capabilities far outstrip those of the armored units currently in service. In facing the threats posed to Taiwan by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and its air-cushioned landing crafts, the M1A2T could hold off such forces with its overwhelming superiority.
Naysayers spreading a narrative centered on the “uselessness” of tanks in Taiwan believe that this shipment — and its procurement — is inappropriate for our military. They go as far as to argue that the M1 Abrams family of tanks, including the M1A2T variant, are unsuited to take on the threat of aerial drones on modern battlefields.
Taiwan’s infrastructure and topography as well as the appearance of other modern battlefields suggest otherwise.
Based on recent news stories about the M1A2T’s arrival, none of the asphalt roads sustained damage during transfer and delivery or during autonomous drive tests. Despite the M1A2T weighing about 63 tonnes, Taiwan’s asphalt roads are durable enough to handle the load and the tanks’ continuous track treading. Heavily laden dump trucks and other large trucks transporting gravel and sand frequently travel long distances along Taiwan’s roads, and they seem to have little or no impact. Several of our highways are also capable of bearing the weight, as proven by the newly arrived tanks. The claim that the M1A2T is too heavy to be suitable for the country’s defense is simply untrue.
Second, the coastal plains of Taiwan’s main island might be far smaller than those in the US, Russia and Europe. However, the land armies of other small and compact nations, and those that might have a high degree of mountainous terrain, such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Switzerland, all use heavy tanks in their main forces.
Our army has a need for heavy tanks to carry out national territorial defense operations. When combined with round-wheeled armored vehicles and armed helicopters, the M1A2T is not only suitable for Taiwan, but it directly improves and increases the overall level of our army’s defense operations capabilities.
Third, during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, aerial drones and uncrewed vehicles have been capable of striking and destroying tanks, that much is true.
However, that argument is not the same as saying that the role of tanks in modern warfare has completely fallen to the wayside.
On offense and defense, tanks are winning pieces of war equipment. Outfitting our army with Abrams tanks for hypothetically defensive operations could show off its dual offensive and defensive capabilities.
Fourth, as each batch of the army’s M1A2Ts are successively delivered, they would continue to seamlessly improve defensive operations in northern Taiwan. The deployment of the heavy tanks by the army’s 584th Armored Brigade and the 269th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, based near Hukou (湖口) and Yangmei (楊梅) townships respectively, would enhance the 6th Army Corps’ ability to guard the capital, while augmenting northern Taiwan’s comprehensive defense resilience.
Lastly, looking broadly at the proven operational capabilities of tanks from around the world, the performance of the US-made M1 Abrams tank and its variants is generally superior to that of heavy tanks manufactured by Russia or other undemocratic countries.
Ray Song is a doctoral student at Tamkang University’s Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies.
Translated by Tim Smith
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