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Taiwan's subject fired rockets successful China's absorption from “shoot-and-scoot” mobile launchers connected Wednesday (June 10, 2026) successful a objection of however it mightiness effort to repel a Chinese attack.
While the U.S.-supplied strategy known arsenic High Impact Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) has been tested before, the latest live-fire workout was the archetypal clip its rockets were fired into the waters of the constrictive Taiwan Strait that separates the self-governing land from China.
“Due to the existent force threat, we volition proceed HIMARS grooming with unwavering determination to support Taiwan arsenic the nation’s strongest force,” Army Sgt. Wang Ming-hui said. The subject said it utilized reduced-range signifier rockets that don't alert precise acold from the seashore earlier falling into the water.
China views Taiwan arsenic a renegade state and says it indispensable travel nether its power astatine immoderate constituent successful the future. It sends warships and planes into the skies and waters adjacent the land astir each time and has held large subject exercises successful its vicinity successful caller years. The United States does not recognise Taiwan arsenic a country, but it opposes immoderate alteration to its presumption by unit and is its main supplier of weaponry for its defense.
The HIMARS is portion of a U.S.-encouraged displacement successful strategy, toward an asymmetric attack designed to support China astatine bay alternatively than trying to spell head-to-head with big-ticket weapons purchases. The truck-mounted pod of rockets tin beryllium driven retired from a dhidden presumption to occurrence its missiles, past rapidly taken to a caller hiding spot successful what are called shoot-and-scoot tactics.
They were fired connected the 2nd time of exercises connected Taiwan's westbound coast, which faces China. The drills, which besides included 155 mm howitzers, simulated a effect to a Chinese penetration and were designed to trial accelerated deployment and precision-strike capabilities.
The HIMARS was the centerpiece of the drill. After receiving a firing order, the vehicles maneuvered into presumption and launched their rockets with agleam flashes wrong 3 minutes, demonstrating their mobility.
The U.S. announced plans successful December to merchantability 82 much HIMARS systems to Taiwan arsenic portion of a large arms deal, but that bundle appears to person been enactment connected hold aft President Donald Trump met Chinese person Xi Jinping successful Beijing past month.
