TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The military is expected to deploy US-made HIMARS rocket systems to the outlying islands of Penghu and Dongyin, significantly extending its long-range strike capability against PLA targets.
The Ministry of National Defense has been conducting a three-day enhanced combat readiness drill since Monday, simulating a scenario in which Penghu comes under a major enemy assault, per Liberty Times on Wednesday. During the exercise, tactical missiles were launched from HIMARS systems deployed in Taichung, demonstrating the military’s ability to counter cross-sea assaults and conduct deep strikes through asymmetric warfare.
Military sources reportedly said that in response to the PLA’s increasingly frequent amphibious landing drills, the military is now planning to forward-deploy HIMARS from the main island to outlying islands.
Paired with ATACMS tactical missiles with a range of up to 300 kilometers, the systems would extend Taiwan’s strike envelope far beyond the median line of the Taiwan Strait. Potential targets include PLA naval ports, missile bases, and airfields in China’s Fujian and Zhejiang provinces.
Under the original plan to acquire 29 HIMARS launchers, the military intended to form multiple rocket missile companies across western Taiwan. However, after Taiwan approved the purchase of an additional 82 systems, bringing the total to 111, future deployments will follow the equipment delivery schedule.
The military said that if HIMARS was deployed on Dongyin Island, ATACMS missiles with a 300-kilometer range could cover not only Fuzhou and Ningde in Fujian, but also extend northward to Wenzhou and Taizhou in Zhejiang, cities hosting key PLA Navy bases under the Eastern Theater Command.
The sources added that HIMARS accuracy on outlying islands would be enhanced through integration with US-supplied MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones and Taiwan-developed Teng Yun drones. These long-endurance UAVs would conduct high-altitude reconnaissance along China’s coast and transmit precise target coordinates via the Tactical Mission Network.
The system would provide near-real-time battlefield awareness, allowing enemy movements to be detected and targeted quickly. To improve survivability, the military plans to take advantage of extensive hardened tunnel networks on the outlying islands.
HIMARS launch vehicles would remain concealed in underground shelters and only emerge to fire before rapidly returning to cover. This “shoot-and-scoot” tactic, combined with the system’s automated fire-control capabilities, would make it difficult for PLA satellites and radar to track their movements.
