Taiwan Shows The Teeth Of The HIMARS Rocket Ahead Of Exercise In The Midst Of Tensions With China

UNSPLASH ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - The Taiwanese military began deploying one of its newest and appreciated attack weapons on Saturday, ahead of a live-fire exercise aimed at showing the country against the Chinese invasion.

Two armored trucks with HIMARS - High Mobility Artillery Rocket System - were seen maneuvering around the city of Taichung near Taiwan's central coast on the fourth day of its top 10-day annual exercise.

Han Kuang's training with live shots is expected to take place next week.

During the war, said Colonel Chen Lian-jia, a military spokesman, it is very important to hide HIMARS from enemy aerial reconnaissance, satellite "or even enemy operations behind our lines" until a shooting order is given.

China's Ministry of Defense this week said Han Kuang's drills were "no more thanorety".

Meanwhile, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said its opposition to US-Taiwan military relations was "consistent and very assertive".

As reported by Reuters on Saturday, July 12, regional military attaches said the deployment of HIMARS in war games would be closely monitored, given that the system has been widely used by Ukraine to fight Russian troops. Australia has also purchased a Lockheed Martin system.

Taiwan received shipments of 11 of its first 29 HIMARS units last year and tested it for the first time in May. With a range of about 300 km (190 miles), the weapon could strike coastal targets in the southern China province of Fujian, across the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwanese military analysts say the weapons will be used with locally developed Thunderbolt 2000 launchers so that Chinese troops can be targeted when they leave ports or try to land on Taiwanese beaches.

Thunderbolt's unit was also seen in a park near HIMARS units.

Senior Taiwanese military officials said Han Kuang's drills were not planned and were designed to mimic full combat conditions, starting with a simulation of enemy attacks on communication and command systems, leading to a massive invasion scenario.

The exercise aims to show China and the international community, including Taiwan's main arms supplier, the US, Taiwan is determined to defend against any Chinese attack or invasion.

China views democratically-ruled Taiwan as its own and has intensified military pressure around the island over the past five years, holding a series of intensive war games and daily naval and air patrols around the region.

Taiwan rejects China's claim to sovereignty, with President Lai Ching-te saying only the Taiwanese can determine their future.