A video posted on social media on 29/12/2024 showed a military convoy forced to stop on a road in Kaohsiung city, Taiwan island, because the lead CM-11 main battle tank experienced a malfunction. Thick white smoke billowed from the engine compartment, forcing the crew to evacuate. One person used a fire extinguisher to spray the area.
Taiwan's defense force stated that the tank, assigned to the 564th Brigade, encountered an issue while on duty. The cause of the white smoke from the tank appeared to be an engine malfunction; the technical team inspected and resolved the problem.
Taiwan's defense agency urged all units to enhance equipment maintenance. The agency noted that unusual situations during training help soldiers gain experience and improve overall combat capabilities.
The CM-11 is a main battle tank developed by US-based General Dynamics and Taiwan's defense force Armored Vehicle Development Center. It entered service in 1990. The tank uses an M48A3 tank turret and an M60A3 hull, integrated with a fire control system from the M1 Abrams series. A total of 450 units were produced.
The CM-11 has a crew of 4, weighs 50 tons, and has a top speed of 48 km/h. It is equipped with homogeneous rolled steel armor, a 105 mm main gun, and 12,7 mm and 7,62 mm machine guns.
This is not the first time a CM-11 tank has encountered an incident. The most recent incident occurred on 24/10/2024, when a tank's track broke during a maneuver, and it was subsequently towed back to base for repairs. Another unit also collided with a civilian oto during an exercise in July 2024.
Pham Giang (via EBC News, SET News)
