Taiwan Tests U.S.-Supplied Missile Systems in Drills Aimed at China

Taiwan's military has demonstrated its defensive capabilities by launching missiles towards China from mobile "shoot-and-scoot" launchers in the Taiwan Strait. The exercise, which involved live firing, showcased how the island could potentially repel an invasion from the mainland.

This latest drill marked the first time that missiles from the U.S.-supplied HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) were fired into the waters separating Taiwan from China. Sergeant Wang Ming-hui stated that the military will continue training with the HIMARS system with "unwavering determination to protect Taiwan as the nation's strongest force" due to the current threat from the enemy.

The military confirmed that training missiles with a reduced range were used, flying a short distance before impacting the sea. Taiwan's representative in the U.S., Alexander Yui, explained that as an island, Taiwan can only target east or west, and they chose west. China considers Taiwan a renegade province and asserts its right to control it, frequently sending naval and air forces near the island. The United States, while not recognizing Taiwan as a state, opposes any forceful change to its status and is Taiwan's primary arms supplier.

The HIMARS system is central to Taiwan's U.S.-backed asymmetric defense strategy. This approach focuses on deterring China through mobility and precision strikes rather than competing through the acquisition of expensive, large-scale weapon systems. The vehicles are mounted on trucks, allowing them to quickly emerge from concealed positions, fire, and relocate, embodying the "shoot-and-scoot" tactic. The drills, held on Taiwan's west coast facing China, simulated responses to a Chinese invasion and tested the forces' rapid deployment and precision strike abilities. The U.S. announced plans in December to sell 82 more HIMARS systems to Taiwan, though this package may be on hold.