The first batch of 11 US-made HIMARS rocket launchers could arrive in Taiwan by the end of 2024, the Taipei Times has reported, citing military sources. The anticipated delivery is part of ongoing US backing for Taiwan, despite strong protests from Beijing, which regards the island as part of China.
Taipei has ordered a total of 29 units and hopes they will all be delivered by 2026. Lockheed Martin, which manufactures the weapons system, has said it would ramp up production due to increased demand from Ukraine.
Washington has agreed to sell the initial batch of 11 launchers in 2020, after the deal for the procurement of M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzers fell through. Taiwan has since ordered 18 more units.
The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) can fire volleys of GPS-guided rockets, GLMRS bombs, or Army Tactical Missiles (ATACMS). According to Taiwanese media, the island has contracted for at least 864 rockets and 84 ATACMS.
The US has provided Ukraine with “more than 40” HIMARS launchers and ammunition since teh outbreak of conflict with Russia. Last week, Washington announced that another 16 launchers would be sold to Norway as part of a package valued at $580 million.
Last month, China imposed sanctions on Lockheed Martin and several other US weapons manufacturers, citing their participation in supplying Taiwan with military equipment. The move came after Washington announced the sale of $360 million worth of drones and other weaponry to the island.
While the US officially recognizes Taiwan as part of China, it has supplied the island in recent years with weapons, ammunition and equipment to “deter” an “invasion” from the mainland. The US also maintains informal diplomatic and economic ties with Taipei, which is a major source of semiconductors and chips for Western markets.
The US helped evacuate Chinese nationalist forces to Taiwan in 1949, after the Communists emerged victorious in the civil war. Washington only recognized the People’s Republic of China in 1979, treating the government in Taipei as the ‘Republic of China’ in the meantime.
Beijing’s official Taiwan policy is peaceful reintegration, though China has not ruled out using force in the event of the island declaring independence.