Taiwan has conducted its first live-fire exercises involving the US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) along its strategically vital western coastline, marking a significant milestone in the island’s efforts to strengthen defenses against a potential Chinese invasion.
The drills, held on June 10 near the Dajia River estuary in Taichung, formed part of a broader military exercise designed to simulate the defense of Taiwan against an amphibious assault by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Military observers described the event as both a practical demonstration of Taiwan’s growing combat capabilities and a political signal to Beijing amid rising cross-strait tensions.
China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has repeatedly pledged to achieve reunification with the mainland, by force if necessary. Over the past several years, concerns about a possible military confrontation have intensified as the PLA has increased the scale and frequency of exercises around Taiwan, including drills that simulate blockades, encirclement operations, and amphibious landings.
In response, Taiwan has accelerated military modernization efforts, expanded defense spending, and acquired advanced weapon systems from the United States. Central to this strategy is the adoption of asymmetric warfare concepts aimed at offsetting China’s overwhelming numerical advantages through mobile, survivable, and precision-guided weapons.
The latest exercises showcased one of the most important components of that strategy.
Taiwan’s military launched the coastal defense exercise on June 9, deploying artillery and rocket units at multiple locations along a 20-kilometer stretch of the island’s western shoreline. According to the Republic of China Army, the drills were designed to replicate realistic battlefield conditions and involved significantly reduced preparation times to test operational readiness.
The HIMARS live-fire event followed a day later and focused on simulating cross-regional precision strikes against enemy forces attempting to establish a foothold on Taiwan’s coast.
Three HIMARS launchers operated by the Army’s 58th Artillery Command were positioned on both sides of the Dajia River estuary. Each launcher carried six M28 reduced-range rockets and participated in three separate firing waves.
Military officials stated that each launcher fired two rockets during each wave, resulting in a total of 36 rockets launched throughout the exercise. The projectiles impacted designated zones approximately nine kilometers offshore.
According to the Army, reduced-range rockets were deliberately selected to ensure safety during the exercise. The munitions traveled only a short distance before descending into the water.
Although the rockets did not demonstrate the full operational reach of the HIMARS system, analysts emphasized that the exercise nevertheless represented a meaningful display of Taiwan’s growing ability to employ precision-guided artillery in a combat scenario.
The military said the scenario involved providing cross-regional fire support against high-value enemy targets in northern operational sectors, with the objective of slowing or disrupting advancing forces.
Officials added that the exercise improved coordination among ground units while validating the army’s ability to rapidly deploy long-range precision firepower during a crisis.
A major focus of the drills was the HIMARS system’s renowned mobility.
Military planners highlighted the launcher’s ability to conduct “shoot-and-scoot” operations—firing rockets and rapidly relocating before enemy forces can respond with counter-battery strikes.
This capability has become increasingly important in modern warfare, where surveillance drones, satellites, and precision-guided munitions make stationary targets highly vulnerable.
“Due to the current enemy threat, we will continue HIMARS training with unwavering determination to protect Taiwan as the nation’s strongest force,” Army Sergeant Wang Ming-hui said following the exercise.
Defense experts noted that survivability will be critical during any future conflict with China. The PLA possesses extensive missile and rocket forces capable of targeting Taiwan’s military infrastructure, making mobility a crucial requirement for defending units.
The June 10 drills therefore served not only as a test of firing procedures but also as a demonstration of Taiwan’s ability to quickly reposition key weapons systems while maintaining operational effectiveness.
The location of the exercise was particularly significant.
Taiwan’s western coastline faces the Taiwan Strait and is widely regarded as the most likely area for a Chinese amphibious invasion. Unlike much of Taiwan’s rugged eastern coast, the west contains beaches, ports, and terrain more suitable for large-scale military landings.
Among these locations, Taichung is considered especially important.
Military analysts have long argued that any invading force would need access to major port facilities to rapidly unload heavy equipment, armored vehicles, ammunition, and logistical supplies. The Port of Taichung is one of the few locations capable of supporting such operations.
As a result, Taiwan’s defense strategy places significant emphasis on attacking enemy forces during the vulnerable transition from sea to land.
By targeting landing craft, transport vessels, assembly areas, and advancing troops as they approach the shore, Taiwan hopes to slow or disrupt an invasion before the PLA can establish a secure beachhead.
The deployment of HIMARS along the west coast directly supports this objective.
The June exercise also marked a geographical expansion of Taiwan’s HIMARS training program. Earlier live-fire drills involving the system were conducted on the island’s eastern coast in May 2025.
The exercises occurred against the backdrop of increasing friction between Taiwan and China in surrounding waters.
Taiwanese authorities have recently reported a surge in Chinese coast guard activity near several sensitive maritime areas, including waters around the Pratas Islands in the South China Sea.
On June 7, Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration announced that its vessels had engaged in a standoff with Chinese ships operating southeast of Taiwan.
China defended the operation as a legitimate law-enforcement activity, linking it to discussions between Japan and the Philippines regarding maritime boundaries in waters east of Taiwan.
While such incidents have become increasingly common, they contribute to an atmosphere of persistent tension that continues to shape military planning on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan’s acquisition of HIMARS represents one of the most important elements of its broader defense modernization effort.
The Republic of China Army purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the United States, with the first batch arriving in November 2024. Additional deliveries are expected as Taiwan continues expanding its precision-strike capabilities.
The system has attracted significant attention because of its effectiveness, mobility, and versatility.
Mounted on a wheeled truck chassis, HIMARS can rapidly move between firing positions and launch precision-guided rockets against targets at considerable distances. The system can fire Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) munitions capable of striking targets more than 70 kilometers away.
It can also employ Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles, which have a range of up to 300 kilometers.
Taiwan’s military sees these capabilities as critical for defending against a larger and more heavily armed adversary.
Under Taiwan’s asymmetric warfare doctrine, relatively inexpensive and dispersed systems are used to impose disproportionate costs on an invading force. Rather than attempting to match the PLA platform for platform, Taiwan seeks to exploit vulnerabilities during key phases of an invasion.
HIMARS is particularly suited to this mission.
The launchers could be used to target PLA amphibious ships during transit across the Taiwan Strait, strike troop concentrations preparing for landings, attack command centers coordinating operations, or destroy logistical hubs supporting an invasion.
Military analysts have argued that precision strikes from dispersed HIMARS units could create lethal “kill zones” along likely landing corridors, forcing Chinese forces to operate under constant threat.
The strategic value of HIMARS extends beyond Taiwan’s coastline.
Security experts have noted that launchers positioned on Taiwan or nearby offshore islands could potentially threaten military facilities in China’s Fujian Province, which sits directly across the Taiwan Strait.
Such strikes could target staging areas, embarkation ports, logistics centers, and assembly points before invading troops even begin crossing the water.
By disrupting preparations and delaying force concentrations, Taiwan could complicate Chinese operational planning and reduce the effectiveness of a large-scale assault.
In addition, HIMARS equipped with longer-range munitions could potentially be used for deep counterstrikes against command posts, air-defense systems, and long-range rocket units supporting invasion operations.
These possibilities have contributed to growing Chinese concerns about the system.
China’s military has openly acknowledged the threat posed by HIMARS.
During the PLA’s “Justice Mission 2025” exercises conducted in December last year, Chinese state media broadcasts depicted simulated strikes against HIMARS launchers after their positions had allegedly been identified.
The exercises illustrated how Chinese forces would seek to locate and destroy the mobile launchers during the opening stages of a conflict.
Chinese media also showed naval and coast guard units intercepting vessels purportedly transporting HIMARS systems to Taiwan, reflecting broader blockade scenarios that have become a recurring feature of PLA exercises.
Military observers say these demonstrations reveal Beijing’s intention to neutralize Taiwan’s precision-strike capabilities as quickly as possible during any future confrontation.
The HIMARS system earned a formidable reputation during the war in Ukraine, where it enabled Ukrainian forces to conduct highly accurate strikes against Russian command centers, ammunition depots, and logistical networks. The system attracted further attention following the introduction of long-range ATACMS missiles, which expanded its reach against high-value targets.
Chinese planners are acutely aware of these battlefield lessons and appear determined to prevent Taiwan from employing HIMARS in a similar fashion.
For Taipei, however, the latest live-fire drills underscore a commitment to ensuring the system can play a central role in the island’s defense.
As military pressure from China continues to grow, Taiwan’s first HIMARS firing exercise on its vulnerable western coast sends a clear message: the island is preparing to contest any future invasion attempt with increasingly sophisticated and mobile precision-strike capabilities.
