Taiwan drills Abrams tanks in city streets to practice covert refueling

In a recent Han Kuang war game, Taiwan's 584th Armored Brigade concealed M1A2T Abrams tanks inside a narrow courtyard near Taoyuan's international airport and refueled them using an M978 truck amid passing civilian traffic. The exercise demonstrated how the 73-ton American tanks could be hidden and serviced within tight urban spaces, a scenario the island's northern theater command expects to face in a potential Chinese ground assault.

Military analyst Erich Shih argued that the Abrams should be used to set up ambush points on routes into major cities, avoiding head-to-head clashes with lighter PLA tanks. He noted that any land invasion would likely be preceded by the suppression of Taiwan's air force, giving Chinese air assets freedom to support their ground forces. The tanks, delivered in April as part of a $2.2 billion U.S. package, address longstanding doubts about the suitability of heavy armor on Taiwan's terrain. Their presence adds a modern platform for crews who previously relied on older M60A3 and CM11 models.