Taiwan¡¯s army on Thursday displayed the fire power of its first U.S.-sourced M1A2T Abrams tanks ¡ª a traditional weapon analysts say will need to be increasingly protected against drones in any future battle given lessons from the Ukraine war.

Four Abrams tanks were shown maneuvering across a mud-choked army training ground in Hsinchu county, firing at moving and static targets, on the second day of Taiwan¡¯s annual military exercises that are designed to test the island¡¯s resilience in a conflict with China.

Wearing a combat helmet, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te observed the firing, saying later that with ¡°every increase in the military¡¯s combat power, the nation and its people gain an extra layer of security.¡±