Taiwan's military on Wednesday, June 10 conducted a live-fire exercise using its U.S.-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), simulating attacks against an invading force and demonstrating its ability to quickly relocate after firing to avoid enemy counterattacks.
The exercise took place in Taichung on Taiwan’s west coast, marking 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 its "shoot-and-scoot" capability, which allows operators to fire and rapidly withdraw before being targeted by enemy radar or artillery.
“Our HIMARS demonstrated the solid combat capabilities of the unit and successfully completed this training,” company commander Ko Ming-pin said.
Taiwan first test-fired the Lockheed Martin-produced HIMARS system last year from its eastern coast. The latest exercise is viewed as strategically significant because Taiwan’s western coastline directly faces mainland China across the Taiwan Strait.
The beaches and coastal areas along Taiwan’s west coast are widely considered the most likely locations for a potential amphibious assault by Chinese forces in the event of a conflict.
Taiwan has been modernising its military with a focus on asymmetric warfare, acquiring mobile and highly effective weapons systems capable of countering a larger military force. Defence planners have frequently described this strategy as turning Taiwan into a "porcupine" that is difficult to invade and occupy.
The HIMARS system, which has gained international attention for its effectiveness in Ukraine’s war against Russia, has an operational range of approximately 300 kilometres (190 miles). This would allow Taiwan to strike targets along China's southeastern Fujian Province, located across the Taiwan Strait.
Military officials said the HIMARS would operate alongside Taiwan’s domestically developed Thunderbolt-2000 multiple-launch rocket system, enabling the armed forces to target enemy troops and vessels before they reach Taiwan’s shores.
Taiwan also conducted live-fire drills using the Thunderbolt-2000 launcher earlier this week.
China considers self-governed Taiwan part of its territory and has repeatedly stated that it reserves the right to use force to bring the island under its control. Chinese military aircraft and naval vessels regularly operate around Taiwan as tensions between both sides continue.
Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, insisting that only the people of Taiwan have the right to determine the island’s future.
