New HIMARS unit will boost Taiwan's defenses: Minister

Taipei, July 4 (CNA) Taiwan's military has boosted its self-defense capability with the establishment of a new company equipped with the U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said.

Koo, who presided over the formation ceremony in Taichung on Friday, called the unit a significant addition to the nation's defensive strength, saying it would help deter adversaries from starting a war.

The company, part of the Army's 58th Artillery Command, is Taiwan's first HIMARS unit. It is made up of top-performing soldiers who received training in the United States, Koo said in a Ministry of National Defense (MND) press release.

The HIMARS can be equipped with either a pod of six 227mm rockets or a single Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), which has a range of up to 300 kilometers.

Taiwan has purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the U.S. and received the first 11 in 2024.

On May 12, the 58th Artillery Command conducted the first live-fire HIMARS drill at Jiupeng Base in Manjhou Township, Pingtung County. The system was further tested by the Army Command Headquarters in June.