Overview

• Taiwan’s army deployed four M1A2T Abrams tanks in live-fire drills at a mud-choked training ground, engaging both moving and static targets.
• These tanks represent Taiwan’s first new main battle armor in 24 years and are part of an initial batch of 38 delivered in December, with 70 more due by 2026.
• Military officials said the July 10 test firing was informal and that the Abrams fleet has not yet been fully commissioned into service.
• Defense analysts and regional attaches warn that lessons from the Ukraine war require Taiwan to integrate counter-drone systems to shield its armored units.
• China’s defense ministry dismissed the exercises as “nothing but a bluff,” even as Taipei frames the drills as proof of its determination to deter possible aggression.