TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- The U.S. has set aside 36 Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV-7) from its reserve inventory of vehicles to ship to Taiwan to bring the total fleet of the armored troop carriers to 90, reported Liberty Times.

The vehicles which have been set aside are currently in storage, but they have been completely refurbished with new engines, transmissions and components. The U.S. military has already ordered the necessary components and made plans for the handover of the vehicles.

The Taiwan military currently has 54 AAV-7s in service, with the Navy primarily using them for combat and disaster relief. In 2015, Congress approved the sale of 36 additional vehicles and the official contract for the sale was signed in June of 2016.

The additional amphibious combat carriers are expected to be shipped to Taiwan in batches from 2020 to 2021. The original price of the package was NT$5.32 billion (US$178.43 million), but by the time the formal contract was signed by the two sides, the price had risen to NT$5.81 billion as the Taiwan dollar had weakened over that period.

Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-Jeou (馬英九) had suggested that Taiwan produce its own amphibious vehicles, but after an internal assessment was carried out, the military concluded that the country does not have the industrial capability of mass-producing such vehicles domestically.



AAV-7s practice assaulting beach. (CNA image)