TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The new US-supplied HIMARS system will make its debut at the live-fire component of the Han Kuang 41 military exercises slated to start Wednesday.

The exercises will run day and night until July 18 and involve 22,000 reservists who will support the regular forces, per PTS News. The Army’s Sixth Corps will conduct a full call-up of the 206th Brigade, with around 2,000 participants engaging in the 10-day new training model.

These live-fire drills will enable the military to assess the HIMARS multiple rocket systems' long-range strike capabilities. On July 4, the Army’s 58th Artillery Command held a ceremony to mark the formation of the HIMARS missile unit, with Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) reviewing the troops.

HIMARS, or the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, is a lightweight, wheeled multiple rocket launcher.

Analysts say HIMARS, with its precision-strike capabilities, complements the domestically developed Thunderbolt-2000 multiple-launch rocket system, forming a "high-low mix" that serves as a deterrent to the Chinese military.

Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the defense ministry’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the Thunderbolt-2000 can strike area targets, such as PLA fleets attempting to make landings and waves of assault boats. Meanwhile, HIMARS rockets, in addition to providing cross-area support, can conduct precise strikes on enemy ground forces or ports.

The military uses the Hanguang exercise to test its rapid response capabilities in the event of a Chinese invasion.