Taiwan deploys new M1A2T Abrams tanks at Taoyuan airport for first time in anti-airborne drill

Published Aug 7, 04:36 PM UTC

Taiwan's newly delivered M1A2T Abrams main battle tanks were deployed for the first time to Taoyuan International Airport as part of the Han Kuang 42 exercise, simulating defense against a Chinese People's Liberation Army airborne assault aimed at seizing the airport as a bridgehead for an invasion of Taipei. The drill involved the ROCA's 584th Armored Brigade, including four M1A2T tanks and six Clouded Leopard infantry fighting vehicles, along with combat engineers erecting hedgehog obstacles and using civilian infrastructure for defensive planning. The scenario mirrored the battle for Hostomel Airport in Ukraine, where Russian forces failed to secure a functional airbridge. Taiwan has received all 108 M1A2T tanks ordered from the United States, with final deliveries in April 2026. The exercise also rehearsed casualty evacuation and chemical decontamination, while commercial flights continued uninterrupted.