Taiwan conducted its first live-fire test of highly mobile artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) purchased from the United States on Monday, as the self-ruled island ramps up its capabilities to repel a potential attack from China.
Despite the absence of official diplomatic relations, the United States is Taiwan’s most important arms supplier. Taiwan faces increasing military pressure from China, including several rounds of military exercises, as Beijing seeks to assert its claim to sovereignty over the island.
Taiwan has purchased 29 high-mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) from Lockheed Martin, with the first batch of 11 delivered last year and the rest due to arrive next year.
With a range of about 300 km (186 miles), they can strike coastal targets in China’s southern Fujian province, located across the Taiwan Strait, in the event of a conflict.
Taiwanese military personnel trained in the United States launched the missiles from the Jiupeng test centre on the remote Pacific coast.
Officer Ho Hsiang-yih reporters that American experts from the manufacturer were present to troubleshoot any problems.
“I believe that these missile launches demonstrate to our people the determination of the armed forces to defend the country’s security and protect our beautiful homeland,” he added.
HIMARS, one of Ukraine’s main strike systems, has been used repeatedly during the war with Russia. In March, Australia announced that it had received the first two of 42 HIMARS missile launchers.
The tests took place the day after Taiwan said it had detected another “joint combat readiness patrol” by Chinese armed forces near the island involving military aircraft and ships.
Washington severed official diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979 in favour of Beijing, but remained Taiwan’s most important ally and arms supplier.
Over the past five decades, the US has sold billions of dollars worth of military equipment and ammunition to Taiwan, including F-16 fighter jets and warships, which has angered China.
