Internal Debates on Taiwan's Need for Tanks

choi

Yesterday's news first.

(1) 朱明, 陸軍計劃採購二手M1A1戰車 因這個原因遭打槍胎死腹中. 風傳媒, Apr 19, 2016.
www.storm.mg/article/105027

Quote:

Denying Army's request for tanks, "國防部進行審查時，認為陸軍因採購AH-64E阿帕契戰鬥直昇機與UH-60黑鷹直昇機排擠了陸軍預算，預算額度受限。另外，M1A1的60噸重量（最新型的M1A2更逼近70噸），行駛在台灣的道路、橋樑上一直被認定有安全疑慮；以及國防戰略指導是以「防衛固守、有效嚇阻」為軍事戰略構想，在歷次的漢光兵推中，各款反戰車飛彈與武器裝備，都比主戰車更具有機動性與破壞、癱瘓敵方的戰力，因此否決了「銳捷專案」。

"知情人士指出，民進黨立院黨團對於陸軍更新主戰車採購案一直持反對態度，民進黨團認為，在台澎防衛作戰中，若喪失空優，主戰車就如同活靶一般沒有太多的戰力，即使美軍在伊拉克的戰事中，M1戰車也經常遭到反坦克武器給擊毀，因此一直不同意陸軍花費百億的預算來更新或採購主戰車。

Note:
(a) "國軍裝甲部隊現役的M60A3戰車及自製的CM-11勇虎戰車，車齡都超過20年"

CM-11勇虎式戰車
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/CM-11勇虎式戰車
(重量 50噸; CM-11是採用M48A3砲塔搭配M60A3戰車底盤，再輔以新型M1 [Abrams] 戰車的射控系統所結合的混種戰車; 服役 1990年; 產量 450輛; 重量 50噸)
(b) "這點陸軍相當有經驗，過去還未採購到二手的M60A3戰車前，陸軍也是先將M41戰車性能提升，換主砲、射控系統與引擎提升戰力，待M60A3戰車陸續抵台後再逐一汰除。"

M41 Walker Bulldog
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M41_Walker_Bulldog
(light tank; In service 1953- (retired in US); Manufacturer Cadillac of General Motors; Weight 23.5 t; Section 4.1 Current operators: Taiwan: "50 M41D vehicles in service")
(c)
(i) M1 Abrams
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1_Abrams
(an American third-generation main battle tank [MBT]; Number built        10,000)

Quote:

"Weighing nearly 68 short tons (almost 62 metric tons), it is one of the heaviest main battle tanks in service. The M1 Abrams entered US service in 1980, replacing the M60 tank. * * * The M1 remains the principal main battle tank of the United States Army and Marine Corps

"In May 2008 it was reported that an American M1 tank had also been damaged by an RPG-29, which uses a tandem-charge high explosive anti-tank warhead to penetrate explosive reactive armor (ERA) as well as composite armor behind it, in Iraq.[34][35] The U.S. considered the RPG-29 threat to American armor high and refused to allow the newly formed Iraqi Army to buy it, fearing that it would fall into the insurgents' hands.

* Footnote 34 is a New York Times report, and 35 ("RPG-29 vs M1A2. LiveLeak.com") is a video clip, the latter of which you should view.
(d) M60 Patton
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M60_Patton
(Type Main battle tank; Manufacturer Chrysler; Produced 1960–87; Number built Over 15,000 (all variants); Weight M60: 50.7 short tons (46.0 t) )

(ii) list of main battle tanks by generation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li ... tanks_by_generation
(in US: 1st generation M48 Patton; 2nd gen M60 Patton; 3rd gen M1 Abrams)

choi

(2) 朱明, 對美軍購M1A1戰車 2020年前返台防衛首都. 風傳媒, May 19, 2015.
http://www.storm.mg/article/49579

Quote:

"軍方人士表示，陸軍規劃採購120輛二手的M1A1戰車的「銳捷專案」，主要是挑選美國現有封存的M1A1戰車，再更新火控系統與動力系統，因此2017年編列預算執行後，這120輛M1A1戰車更新後會逐批逐次返台，未來M1A1戰車將優先部署新竹湖口的戰車營，增加台北地區防衛作戰的戰力。

"陸軍原本想採購火控系統、數位資訊性能更先進，但價格相對昂貴的新型M1A2戰車，因沒有足夠預算，陸軍退而求其次，採用過去採購二手M60A3戰車的模式，將向美國購買經過性能檢整的二手M1A1戰車（類似澳洲陸軍），用以加強陸軍裝甲旅的戰力。