Taiwan's Han Kuang drills reveal China's potential island-hopping strategy; military plans HIMARS counterattack

Taiwan's military is for the first time integrating the offshore islands of Lanyu and Green Island into its core defense strategy, a significant shift revealed during recent Han Kuang exercises. Military officials are concerned that China could seize these islands during a conflict, transforming them into forward bases for long-range artillery strikes against Taiwan. Such a move would allow Chinese forces to bypass the Central Mountain Range and attack key military installations like the Jiasan and Zhihang bases from the east.

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If the PLA occupies Lanyu and Green Island off the coast of Taitung and uses them as long-range artillery projection points for attacking Taiwan, the national army will not rule out using the HIMARS multiple rocket system for counterattacks and destroying PLA strongholds.

The potential threat involves Chinese forces using amphibious assault ships and hovercraft to land heavy equipment on the islands, despite their treacherous terrain. They might also employ floating docks or heavy-lift helicopters for rapid deployment. Taiwan's strategy focuses on "trading time for space," with island garrisons tasked with delaying an assault on critical infrastructure like airports and ports. Reinforcements and supplies would be rapidly deployed from Taiwan's east coast.

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The island garrisons' key mission is not to fight a decisive battle with the PLA, but to hold airports, ports, and other core strongholds, and to use the rugged mountainous areas and caves of Lanyu and Green Island to establish hidden positions to delay the enemy's base establishment speed.

To deter an invasion, Taiwan plans to station Stinger and Javelin missiles on the islands to ambush landing craft and helicopters. Obstacles like barbed wire and landmines would also be deployed to disrupt enemy logistics. The goal is to inflict heavy casualties during the landing phase, buying 48 to 72 hours for Taiwan's main forces to launch a counterattack.

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The national army will deploy a large number of Stinger and Javelin missiles on the island to conduct dispersed ambushes against the air-cushion boats attempting to land and the hovering armed helicopters.

If the islands are partially occupied, Taiwan's long-range strike capabilities will be activated. This includes using HIMARS multiple rocket systems deployed on the eastern coast to destroy Chinese artillery positions. The navy will also use Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles to create a defensive screen and sever Chinese supply lines. This combined strategy of island defense and mainland counterattack aims to thwart any attempt by China to use Lanyu and Green Island as a springboard for attacking Taiwan.

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If the outlying islands are unfortunately partially occupied, the long-range counterattack network of the main island will be immediately launched. The national army will then use the HIMARS multiple rocket system deployed in eastern Taiwan, with a range of 300 kilometers, to carry out precise cross-sea suppression and directly destroy the enemy's newly established long-range artillery positions on the island.