In the early 1970s, the then Chief of Staff of the US Army, General Creighton Abrams, advocated for the development of the M-1 main battle tank, which was subsequently named the Abrams tank in his honor. Back in December 1944, Abrams led his Sherman tank unit to rescue besieged American forces in Bastogne. Since then, he swore never to boast again that American tanks were the best in the world.
Compared to German tanks at the time, their weapons and armor were far superior. In 1991, during the Gulf War, the Abrams tank proved its superiority by destroying advanced Soviet-made tanks used by the Iraqi army in the famous Battle of 73 Easting, achieving overwhelming victory at minimal cost. The Chinese and Russian militaries have been studying the Gulf War, also known as Desert Storm, as a model of perfect warfare, fully aware of the decisive role played by the M-1 tank.
For years, Taiwan has sought to purchase M-1 tanks from the United States and finally received approval in 2019. In recent years, the US Department of Defense and the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense have established a strong network of communication, with the M-1 tank consistently being a top agenda item during their regular bilateral meetings. Connecting the M-1 tank with the future mainstream of network warfare may seem somewhat tenuous; however, there is indeed a strong correlation between the two.
The M-1 tank not only excels in firepower, mobility, and protection among world tanks but also has close ties to the digital world. This tank may be the most combat-effective ground and Internet protocol terminal in history. After several years of negotiations, the first batch of 38 M-1 tanks has arrived in Taiwan. The Taiwanese military now possesses the most outstanding tank in history, with its combat record duly confirmed.
The first batch of M-1 tanks from the US has been delivered to the Armor Training Command in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Some will serve as training tanks, while others will become the core equipment of Taiwan’s first M-1 armored battalion. The delivery of M-1 tanks sends a strong signal of US determination to support Taiwan.
However, there has been hesitancy among US politicians regarding the sale of M-1 tanks to Taiwan, focusing on the debate between “prickly” offensive weapons and “prestige” weapons. Some US policy experts see this as a fundamental mathematical issue related to national defense expenditure. Tanks, submarines, and warships, considered “prestige” weapons, occupy a significant portion of Taiwan’s defense budget. This was a practical concern during Taiwan’s earlier period of limited defense spending.
One approach to effectively deploying both offensive and prestige weapons is to increase Taiwan’s defense budget. The Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan has increased defense spending for seven consecutive years, reaching over $20 billion in 2025.
Undoubtedly, both offensive weapons, such as drones and missiles, and prestige weapons have their roles to play. With little offensive or prestige weapons, Ukraine faced a swift invasion by Russia, lasting only 72 hours. Without apparent deterrence, an authoritarian state like China viewed the invasion of Ukraine as an opportunity. A disciplined and well-equipped prestigious weapon force like the M-1 tank serves as a visible, demonstrative deterrent signal that totalitarian countries like China would notice, respect, and reconsider before military invasion of Taiwan.
By the end of 2023, the deployment of offensive weapons led to a stalemate in the war, as both Russia and Ukraine faced threats from small drones on the battlefield. However, Ukraine’s use of tank maneuver warfare, including the M-1, allowed them to break the drone deadlock and annex large swathes of the Kursk Oblast in Russia.
Taiwan’s M-1 tank serves as a strategic psychological warfare message of deterrence and a powerful mobile force, ready to strike and destroy any possible beachhead of the Chinese military on the west coast should they invade Taiwan.
On the issue of the US delivering M-1 tanks to Taiwan, the question arises: why did it take so long?
Taiwan has a significant backlog of orders for offensive and prestige weapons, a problem stemming from the US industrial base rather than Taiwan. Concerning the M-1 tank, the only military factory capable of production and refurbishment is located in Lima, Ohio, USA, and has been underutilized for the past 20 years. With the outbreak of the Ukraine war, global interest in the M-1 tank has exceeded the factory’s production capacity.
Undoubtedly, Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Australia, Egypt, Bahrain, and the US Army are all vying for quotas in the production and refurbishment program of M-1 tanks, squeezing Taiwan’s supply. Meanwhile, the demand for US missiles is also substantial, overwhelming the US defense industry base.
The good news is that Taiwan has begun to receive some missile supplies. According to an order placed in 2020 during Donald Trump’s first presidential term, the first 100 Harpoon coastal defense missile launchers and 400 Harpoon Block II missiles arrived in Taiwan in September 2024.
Parts of the HIMARS long-range rocket artillery, which showed their prowess in Ukraine, have also partially arrived in Taiwan. These weapons were ordered in 2020, demonstrating that the delivery process typically takes around four years to complete. Apart from these missiles, a long list of items Taiwan has paid for is still awaiting production and delivery.
The Chinese regime continues to expand the scale of the Joint Sword exercises, showcasing their ability to block or isolate Taiwan.
At a meeting held in Taiwan in September 2024, Su Ziyun, Director of the Institute for National Defense and Security Studies in Taiwan, expressed concern about the Chinese regime possibly isolating Taiwan within six months.
LOGINK (Logistics Connecting) is an internationally used logistics data integration platform. This system, akin to spy cranes between ports, could be used to monitor war materials shipped from the US to Taiwan. A spokesman for the US Transportation Command stated, “China is seeking to increase its intensity of global supply chain involvement, including US military logistics information.”
The Chinese regime has been infiltrating the LOGINK international data platform in various ways. Therefore, the value of over $22 billion in pending military supplies shipped from the US to Taiwan in the coming years could become a selective target for China.
The news of the delivery of M-1 tanks from the US to Taiwan has raised questions: why did it take so long?
The original text from The Epoch Times, translated and rewritten, reports on the significance of Taiwan receiving the M-1 Abrams main battle tanks from the US, discussing the implications and challenges related to national defense, deterrence, and military equipment procurement.