Taiwan’s military on Wednesday conducted a live-fire exercise using its U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), demonstrating its ability to strike enemy targets and rapidly reposition to avoid counterattacks.
The exercise took place in Taichung on Taiwan’s west coast and marked the first time the precision-guided rocket system has been fired from that side of the island.
Military officials said the drill was designed to showcase the HIMARS system’s mobility and “shoot-and-scoot” capability, which enables operators to launch rockets and quickly relocate before enemy forces can respond.
“Our HIMARS demonstrated the solid combat capabilities of the unit and successfully completed this training,” company commander Ko Ming-pin said.
The HIMARS system, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, was first test-fired by Taiwan from the island’s eastern coast last year. Defence analysts view the latest exercise as strategically significant because Taiwan’s western coastline faces mainland China across the Taiwan Strait.
The coastal areas along western Taiwan are considered among the most likely locations for a potential amphibious landing in the event of a military conflict.
As part of its defence strategy, Taiwan has increasingly focused on acquiring mobile and precision-guided weapons systems capable of countering a larger military force. Officials have frequently described the approach as making the island a “porcupine” that would be difficult to invade and occupy.
With a range of approximately 300 kilometres (190 miles), the HIMARS system could potentially reach targets in southeastern China, including parts of Fujian Province across the Taiwan Strait.
Military authorities said the system will complement Taiwan’s domestically developed Thunderbolt-2000 multiple-launch rocket system, enhancing the military’s ability to target enemy vessels and troops before they reach Taiwan’s shores.
China, which considers Taiwan part of its territory, has repeatedly stated that it reserves the right to use force to bring the island under Beijing’s control. Taiwan’s government rejects those claims, maintaining that only the people of Taiwan can determine the island’s future.
The exercise comes amid continuing tensions across the Taiwan Strait, with Chinese military aircraft and naval vessels regularly conducting operations near the island.