TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan’s military test-fired for the first time on Monday a new U.S.-supplied rocket system intended to stiffen its defenses against China.
The self-ruling island received its first batch of the U.S.-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, last year. The same system has been used by Ukraine in its war against Russia.
Taiwan conducted the tests during an annual missile exercise, firing the projectiles into oceans off the south of the island.
Taiwan faces growing pressure from China’s expanding warfare capabilities, as Beijing seeks to assert its sovereignty claim over Taiwan.
“The HIMARS can suppress China’s launch capabilities at the source,” Su Tzu-yun, director of the Division of Defense Strategy and Resources at Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, told RFA. “It can more effectively counter China’s potential amphibious invasion and enhance Taiwan’s overall defense capabilities.”
The HIMARS represents a significant upgrade for Taiwan.
The maximum range of Taiwan’s existing Thunderbolt-2000 multiple rocket system is just 45 kilometers (28 miles), according to Heh Tzeng-yuan, director of the institute’s Cyber Warfare and Decision-Making Simulation Division. In contrast, HIMARS is capable of striking targets up to 300 kilometers (186 miles) away with an accuracy margin of about 10 meters. It could hit coastal targets in China’s southern province of Fujian, on the other side of the Taiwan Strait, according to Reuters.
A Taiwanese army officer told Radio Free Asia that a total of 33 HIMARS rockets were fired on Monday, with 11 launch vehicles each firing three rounds. The officer did not provide any details on how the drills went.
Separately, Taiwan’s army artillery units on Sunday conducted a live-fire exercise using the Thunderbolt-2000 system, firing a total of 837 rockets in six volleys. The drills drew crowds of military enthusiasts.
Chieh Chung, associate researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research in Taiwan, said the HIMARS’ guided rockets could help fill critical gaps in Taiwan’s defenses.
The United States has close, unofficial ties with Taiwan and is required by U.S. law to provide defense supplies for the island’s defense. What’s new, analysts say, is Washington’s willingness to provide weapons capable of striking across the Taiwan Strait, like HIMARS.
China has been dialing up the military pressure on Taiwan with drills and maneuvers close to the island. For years, Beijing has threatened to take Taiwan by force if it declares independence.
On Sunday, Taiwan’s defense ministry reported detecting 36 Chinese military aircraft in the past 24 hours, 17 of which crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line. Eight Chinese navy vessels and two government ships were also spotted.
Edited by xxxx and Mat Pennington.
