Taiwan's military on Wednesday conducted a launch from its new HIMARS mobile rocket system, which is widely used by Ukraine, simulating an attack on invading Chinese forces and demonstrating its "shoot-and-scoot" capability to avoid counterstrikes, Reuters reports, according to UNN.
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China, which considers democratically governed Taiwan its territory, has never renounced the use of force to establish control over the island, and its military aircraft and ships operate around the island almost daily.
Taiwan first conducted a test launch of its Lockheed Martin-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, last year off its east coast. Wednesday marked the first time it launched the precision weapon on the west coast, in central Taichung.
The military said the exercise was intended to demonstrate the mobility of HIMARS and its "shoot-and-scoot" capability—moving after firing to avoid detection by enemy radar—which "significantly improves battlefield survivability."
"Our HIMARS demonstrated the unit's solid combat capabilities and successfully completed this exercise," said company commander Ko Ming-pin.
The beaches and mudflats on Taiwan's west coast, directly across the Taiwan Strait from China, are seen as the most likely location for a Chinese military landing attempt in the event of any invasion, the publication writes.
Taiwanese forces are modernizing to be able to wage asymmetric warfare with more mobile weapons that can still pack a punch, like HIMARS, turning the island into a "porcupine" that is difficult to attack and can survive a Chinese assault, the publication points out.
With a range of about 300 km, HIMARS can strike coastal targets in southeastern China's Fujian province, on the other side of the Taiwan Strait.
The weapons will be used alongside Taiwan-developed Thunderbolt-2000 launchers so that Chinese forces can be attacked while leaving port or attempting to land on Taiwan's coast.
Thunderbolt launches were conducted on the first day of the exercises on Tuesday.
Taiwan's government rejects China's sovereignty claims, asserting that only the island's people can decide its future.
China has launched a special maritime operation near Taiwan07.06.26, 01:41