Taiwan tests its new US-made Himars rocket systems for the first time

Taiwan tested its new high-precision Himars rocket systems for the first time on Monday, a major step in its efforts to reinforce its asymmetric defences against the People’s Liberation Army.

A total of 33 rockets were fired from 11 US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (Himars) at Jiupeng military base in the island’s southern county of Pingtung, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency.

The truck-mounted systems – manufactured by Lockheed Martin – are equipped with six multiple launch rockets that have a maximum range of 70km (43½ miles). Each Himars can also carry a single Army Tactical Missile System with a range of up to 300km.

Himars has been used by Ukraine against Russian high-value targets, and would be expected to play a crucial role in a conflict with mainland China, which is about 180km from Taiwan’s main island.

The Himars test was part of the Taiwanese army’s annual precision-strike missile drills, where its domestically developed Thunderbolt-2000 rocket launchers were used to counter mock coastal landing strikes, its defence ministry said.

Taiwanese Defence Minister Wellington Koo Li-hsiung attended the exercise, along with representatives of the manufacturer, who were on hand to help with technical issues.