Intelligence and Terrorism News

Taiwan deploys 54 US-made AAV7 amphibious vehicles: paper

Feb 14, 2006, 13:14 GMT

Taipei - Taiwan has deployed 54 US-made assault amphibious vehicles (AAV7) to boost its defences against a possible attack from China, a newspaper said on Tuesday.

The China Times said Taiwan took delivery of the AAV7s at the end of 2005 and has now deployed them in southern and northern Taiwan.

US military officers have arrived in Taiwan to train Taiwan's marine corps how to use AAV7s. The amphibious landing vehicles will be commissioned next month, the paper said.

The US approved the 6.1 billion Taiwan dollar (185 million US dollar) sale of 54 AAV7s to Taiwan in 2002. The AAV7, made in the southern US city of Atlanta, was used by the US troops in the Iraq war.

The AAV7, with 525 horsepower, can carry 18 armed soldiers at 13 kilometres per hour on water and 25-35 kmph on land. They have a combat radius of 500 kilometres.

In the Iraq war, US troops used the AAV7s to charge into Bagdad.

In northern Taiwan, the AAV7s are deployed around Taipei to protect Taiwan's capital, Taipei, the paper said.