Taiwan fires US-supplied HIMARS rockets from west coast

Taiwan’s military conducted a live-fire drill on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, launching rockets from U.S.-supplied mobile launchers into the Taiwan Strait from its western coast for the first time. The exercise, which involved the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), was designed to simulate a defense against a potential amphibious invasion and to demonstrate the system’s rapid “shoot-and-scoot” capabilities.

The drill, held in the central coastal region of Taichung, saw the firing of approximately 36 reduced-range training rockets. Military officials stated the exercise aimed to showcase the mobility of the HIMARS units, which can fire and quickly relocate to avoid enemy counter-strikes, thereby improving battlefield survivability. A company commander involved in the exercise said the HIMARS demonstrated robust combat capabilities and that the training was successfully completed.

This marked the first time Taiwan has fired the precision weapon system from its west coast, which directly faces mainland China across the strait. Previous HIMARS tests had been conducted off Taiwan’s east coast. The system has a range of up to 300 kilometers, which military analysts note...