Taiwan Fires HIMARS Rockets Towards China for the First Time

Taiwan’s military has taken a bold step by firing dozens of rockets from a US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) towards China for the first time. The action was conducted on Wednesday (10/6) as part of a two-day military exercise centred around the city of Taichung in central Taiwan. The drills took place along a 12-mile stretch of coastline known as ‘Red Beach’, a coastal area considered the most likely landing point for an invasion by Chinese forces. The use of HIMARS in this simulation marks a significant shift in Taiwan’s strategy of demonstrating strength to Beijing. The HIMARS is one of the most critical assets in Taiwan’s arsenal and a primary pillar of its asymmetric defence strategy, often referred to as the ‘porcupine strategy’. This doctrine aims to deter China’s much larger forces by relying on mobile, lower-cost, but lethal weapons systems. In addition to the HIMARS, the Taiwanese military also deployed its domestically produced Thunderbolt-2000 rocket system, US-made Paladin howitzers, and guided anti-tank missiles. Although the 32 rockets tested on Wednesday had a maximum range of only about nine miles, Taiwan is known to possess long-range munitions capable of reaching the Chinese mainland. William Yang, a senior analyst for Northeast Asia at Crisis Group, assessed that the decision to test the HIMARS from the western coast aimed at China carries very strong symbolic meaning. ‘This sends a very firm signal to Beijing regarding Taiwan’s resolve and progress in enhancing its counter-strike capabilities against China,’ he said. The timing of the exercise is under scrutiny as it occurs less than a month after Donald Trump’s meeting with Xi Jinping in China, where Trump reportedly mentioned Taiwan as a bargaining chip. Shortly thereafter, the US government suspended a US$14 billion weapons package to Taiwan, citing the need to conserve ammunition for the conflict in Iran. Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues to push Taiwan to increase its defence budget to 3 per cent of GDP by 2026 and 5 per cent by 2030. Last May, Taiwan’s legislature finally approved a defence package worth NT$18.5 billion, or approximately Rp445 trillion, although the figure was lower than the initial proposal from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party. By the end of 2026, Taiwan is expected to receive an additional 18 HIMARS systems, supplementing the first batch of 11 units that arrived at the end of 2024. This strengthening of military hardware is crucial amid rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait.