New artillery unit formally commissioned in Taichung following U.S. training completion
Taiwan’s military has officially established its first operational unit equipped with the U.S.-supplied M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), marking a significant enhancement to the island’s long-range precision strike capabilities, Defense Minister Wellington Koo announced Friday.
The commissioning ceremony was held in Taichung, where Koo presided over the formation of the new company, which falls under the Army’s 58th Artillery Command. The unit is composed of top-performing soldiers who completed training in the United States, according to a Ministry of National Defense press release.
“The HIMARS system will improve the accuracy of Taiwan’s defensive missiles and help the military deter war and maintain peace,” Koo said during the ceremony. He emphasized the need for innovative and asymmetric tactics to maximize the utility of the new systems.
Capabilities and Procurement
The M142 HIMARS is a highly mobile wheeled platform capable of firing either a pod of six 227mm GMLRS rockets with an approximate range of 80-94 kilometers, or a single Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) with a range of up to 300 kilometers. The newly established unit participated in live-fire testing at Jiupeng Base in Pingtung County in May and underwent further evaluation by the Army Command Headquarters in June.
Taiwan has purchased a total of 29 HIMARS launchers from the United States, with the first 11 units delivered in late 2024. An additional 18 systems were ordered in 2023, with deliveries expected by 2026. These acquisitions replaced a previously planned purchase of M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzers.
Strategic Implications
Defense analysts view the HIMARS deployment as a major boost to Taiwan’s deterrent capabilities against potential aggression from China. Shu Hsiao-huang, a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, noted that the system provides “long-range and strategic deterrence” against the People’s Liberation Army.
However, Shu also cautioned that Taiwan’s military must revise its artillery operations doctrine to properly employ the new systems. “The obsolete doctrine of concentrating guns and rocket systems en masse should be replaced with dispersed deployment of units, decentralized fire control, and a greater emphasis on precision,” he said.
Future Exercises
The new HIMARS unit is scheduled to participate in the upcoming Han Kuang military exercises, Taiwan’s largest annual war games, scheduled from July 9 to 18. This year’s exercises will include “grey zone” scenarios simulating unconventional hostilities and peacetime military pressure from China.
The HIMARS activation comes amid increasing U.S. military support for Taiwan. In December 2025, the Trump administration announced a record $11.15 billion arms package that included an additional 82 HIMARS systems and 420 ATACMS missiles, along with howitzers, drones, and other military equipment. The United States has stated that these sales support Taiwan’s efforts to “modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability”.
China, which views Taiwan as part of its territory, has consistently condemned U.S. military cooperation with the island. Beijing maintains that Taiwan is in a state of civil war with the mainland and has not renounced the use of force to achieve reunification.
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