Key facts
- Taiwan's military conducted a drill on its west coast, firing HIMARS rocket systems.
- The exercise simulated an attack on an invading Chinese force.
- The drill demonstrated the HIMARS' 'shoot-and-scoot' capability, allowing it to withdraw after firing to avoid counter-strikes.
- HIMARS, used by Ukraine, has a range of about 300 km and could strike coastal targets in China.
- Taiwan is modernizing its military with mobile weapons to deter a Chinese invasion.
Taiwan's military conducted a significant anti-invasion drill on its west coast, firing its mobile HIMARS rocket systems for the first time in that region. The exercise, held in Taichung, aimed to demonstrate the system's "shoot-and-scoot" capability, allowing it to evade enemy radar and counter-strikes, thereby enhancing its battlefield survivability.
China, which claims democratic Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out force, operates military assets around the island daily. The west coast beaches are considered the most likely landing zone for a Chinese invasion. Taiwan is modernizing its defenses with mobile, potent weapons like HIMARS to create a "porcupine" defense, making an assault difficult and costly for China.