Taiwan conducted its first live-firing of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) purchased from the United States, as the self-ruled island upgrades its capabilities to repel a potential Chinese attack.

China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring the island under its control.

Taiwan would be massively outgunned in any war with China, and for decades, it has been buying US military weapons and equipment as a deterrence against Beijing.

The first batch of 11 HIMARS were delivered to Taiwan in November.

The truck-mounted units can launch multiple precision-guided rockets at the same time, and have been used by Ukraine against Russia in their ongoing conflict.

Colonel Ho Chih-chung told reporters that US technical personnel were present during the live-fire and helped to resolve a “signal error” during the first round when the three launchers failed to fire simultaneously.

“We believe this exercise provides an opportunity to enhance our troubleshooting capabilities, allowing us to better demonstrate realistic combat readiness in the event of war,” Ho said.

Washington severed official diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979 in favour of Beijing, but has remained Taiwan’s most important backer and arms supplier.

In the past five decades, the United States has sold Taiwan billions of dollars worth of military equipment and ammunition, including F-16 fighter jets and warships, angering China.

Taiwan Wants America

A Taiwanese official said Sunday that Taiwan is seeking deeper military and economic cooperation with the United States despite tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump that have rattled business leaders on the island.

The United States, a vital security ally for the island threatened by China, imposed hefty tariffs last month on trading partners globally, including Taipei, before pausing them for 90 days.

“We have seen the whole world express concern over the tariffs issue. And our president, Lai Ching-te, has already met with the heads of major Taiwanese companies ten times, which also shows their great concern,” Kung Ming-hsin, secretary-general of Taiwan’s executive branch, told AFP.

However, during a visit to Washington for an investment summit, Kung suggested the two countries could collaborate on security and technology.

“We can have research and development together in the area of drones, for example,” the official said.

“The United States has advanced technologies, and Taiwan is very strong in having a mass production of this kind of advanced technologies,” he added.

Kung touted an opportunity for “good cooperation” that could, in turn, benefit “enhancing our industrial security.”

Washington is Taiwan’s main security guarantor at a time when Beijing has escalated its rhetoric and threatened to use force to bring the island under its control.

Around 60 percent of Taiwanese exports to the United States fall within the information technology sector. These are mainly semiconductors, which are used in everything from televisions and cars to weapons and supercomputers.

Australia Gets HIMARS

The country’s acquisition of the HIMARS system — used with devastating effect by Ukraine against Russian forces — was accelerated after a 2023 defence strategic review.

That review called for a shift toward long-range deterrence, with China’s rapid military build-up feeding concerns about the vulnerability of Australia’s links to its trade partners and global supply chains.

In response to the findings, the government announced it would spend Aus $1.6 billion (US$1 billion) to expand and speed up the delivery of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System.

The government said in a statement that the first two of a planned 42 HIMARS launcher vehicles had already arrived from the United States. It described the system as a “game changer” that would bolster security in Australia and the region.

“We are making record investments to ensure the Australian Defence Force has the capability it needs, when it needs it to keep Australians safe,” said Defence Minister Richard Marles.

Using the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System and the Precision Strike Missile, HIMARS can strike targets more than 500 kilometres (310 miles) away.

“HIMARS is a world-leading capability, delivering accurate firepower at long ranges, resulting in a more than ten-fold increase in the Army’s striking range,” said Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy.

As part of its deterrence strategy, Australia has already committed to equipping its navy with stealthy long-range nuclear-powered submarines that could retaliate with a barrage of cruise missiles.