Taiwan has formally established its first military unit equipped with American-supplied M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), a significant step in the island's ongoing military expansion in response to growing tensions with mainland China.
According to a statement released Friday by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, the new unit was formed under the 10th Army Corps – 58th Artillery Command. The development follows a $8.12 billion appropriation passed by the U.S. Congress in April 2024 to bolster Taiwan and other U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific region.
The first shipment of 11 HIMARS systems arrived on the island in October 2024, with the remaining 18 systems scheduled for delivery by the end of 2025. Following their arrival, a six-month training program was conducted, culminating in a live-fire test at Jiupeng base in Pingtung County this May.
The HIMARS systems are capable of launching Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) missiles with a range of up to 80 kilometers (50 miles), as well as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) with a range of 300 kilometers (186 miles), significantly increasing Taiwan’s long-range strike capabilities.
The deployment of HIMARS is part of a larger militarization effort backed by the United States, as Washington shifts strategic attention to the Pacific and seeks to bolster regional allies in preparation for potential conflict with China. More than $20 billion in U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan remain in the pipeline through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. This includes 66 F-16V fighter jets, 100 Harpoon anti-ship missile systems, 250 Stinger surface-to-air missile systems, and hundreds of Javelin anti-tank missiles.
Additionally, U.S. troops were confirmed last year to have been quietly deployed to Taiwan’s Kinmen Islands—territory located just 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Chinese mainland—raising the stakes in an already volatile cross-strait relationship.
Tensions between Beijing and Taipei have steadily escalated since former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August 2022, which Beijing viewed as a violation of the longstanding “One China Policy.” Although the U.S. officially recognizes Beijing as the sole legal government of China, Washington continues to provide Taiwan with extensive military assistance.
Since returning to office in January, U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled his administration’s commitment to prioritizing the Indo-Pacific theater, with an emphasis on expanding defense cooperation with Taiwan and increasing weapons deliveries.
Beijing maintains that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China, a position backed by 182 of the 193 member states of the United Nations, including the United States and other major world powers.