Mon May 12 20:51:31 UTC 2025: ## Taiwan Conducts First Live Fire of US-Supplied HIMARS
**Taipei, Taiwan –** Taiwan successfully conducted its first live-fire exercise of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) on Monday, May 12, 2025. The exercise, held at the Jiupeng base in Pingtung County, marked a significant upgrade to the island’s defense capabilities amid growing tensions with China.
The 11 HIMARS systems, purchased from the United States, were delivered to Taiwan in November 2024. The live-fire drill involved the simultaneous launch of multiple precision-guided rockets. While an initial technical issue caused a delay, U.S. technical personnel present on-site assisted in resolving a signal error, ensuring a successful completion of the exercise.
Colonel Ho Chih-chung stated that the exercise aimed to enhance troubleshooting capabilities and demonstrate combat readiness. This deployment follows decades of Taiwan acquiring U.S. military equipment, including fighter jets and warships, as a deterrent against potential Chinese aggression. China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has repeatedly threatened to use force to reclaim it.
The U.S., despite severing official diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979, remains a key arms supplier to the island, a move consistently met with strong disapproval from Beijing. The ongoing tensions highlight the delicate geopolitical balance in the region.
First Piper 