Thursday, June 11, 2026 - 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.
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