Classroom training has begun for the first batch of US-made M1A2T Abrams tanks that arrived in Taiwan in December last year, a military source said yesterday, adding that they could begin combat preparations in the second half of the year.
On Dec. 16, 38 M1A2T Abrams tanks and four M88A2 armored recovery vehicles arrived at the Port of Taipei before being transported to the Armor Training Command in Hsinchu County’s Hukou Township (湖口).
Prior to the tanks’ arrival, Taiwanese instructors training in the US returned in November last year to draft teaching materials, military officials said.
Photo: Military News Agency via EPA-EFE
A source told reporters that replacement training has already begun with the new tanks and combat service scheduled for the second half of this year, although plans are not yet finalized.
Before fielding the tanks, the army would hold assessments followed by a training period and further evaluations, the source said.
The M1A2T is a next-generation tank equipped with modern battlefield functions such as a computer fire control system, they said.
Most aspects of the M1A2T, such as performance characteristics, maintenance needs and safety regulations, require retraining even for soldiers familiar with the CM-11 or M60A3 tanks, the source said.
As such, classroom training would be the primary focus, rather than tank operation, they added.
To avoid delays in training, a new tank proving ground in Hsinchu County’s Kengzihkou (坑子口) is being constructed in stages and is ready for the new tanks, the army said in a news release last year.
The upgrades to the training facility include a new multiuse shooting range to enable operators of the M1A2T Abrams tanks to practice firing at night and while moving, a range extension to 1.8km from 1.34km and new target platforms that can move automatically.
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