17 March 2023

Update: Taiwan to upgrade M60A3 main battle tanks

by Kapil Kajal

Taiwan has announced that the country is upgrading its M60A3 MBTs, an example of which is pictured above with the US Army, with 1,000 hp engines. (General Dynamics Land Systems)

Taiwan has announced plans to upgrade the US-made M60A3 main battle tanks (MBTs) in service with the Republic of China Army (RoCA).

Ministry of National Defense (MND) of Taiwan has awarded a contract worth USD241 million to US-based engine manufacturer Renk America (RA) for supplying its AVDS 750 hp engines to modernise the M60A3 fleet in service with RoCA, RA told Janes.

RA said that the AVDS engines are 12-cylinder, turbocharged, air-cooled diesel engines. The mechanical configuration of the engines is 90° between two cylinders, which is also called V configuration. The power of the engine ranges from 750 to 1,200 hp.

According to Janes Land Warfare Platforms: Armoured Fighting Vehicles, the M60 is produced by now General Dynamics Land Systems and is armed with a 105 mm gun and has a crew of four. Between 1960 and 1987, it was produced in several variants , and was used as a basis for numerous support variants.

The M60A3 was first completed in 1978 and features numerous improvements over the M60A1, including an improved fire-control system (FCS) and an engine. The tank has an air-cooled diesel engine that produces 750 hp at 2,400 rpm.

Ted Trzesniowski, CEO of RA, told Janes that the new engines, which will be installed in M60A3 tanks, will produce 750 hp like the earlier ones, but they will be modernised and easily upgradable to 1050 hp.

According to a local media report, the order of new engines is planned to be completed by 2028.

Taiwan has announced plans to upgrade the US-made M60A3 main battle tanks (MBTs) in service with the...

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