Taiwan conducted its first live-fire test of the U.S.-made HIMARS multiple-launch rocket systems on Monday, marking a significant step in bolstering its ability to deter a potential Chinese invasion.

The Taiwanese military fired tens of test rockets into an exclusion zone in the Pacific Ocean, marking the first time it has shown its HIMARS systems to the public after taking delivery of them in October. The platform can be equipped with missiles capable of striking targets up to 300 kilometers (186 miles) away — well beyond China’s southeastern coast, significantly enhancing Taiwan’s strike capabilities, both in range and precision.

Supplying Taiwan with a weapons system that proved devastatingly effective in Ukraine’s efforts to defend against the Russian invasion was once considered politically sensitive in Washington. The U.S. had long been hesitant to provide Taiwan with offensive weapons capable of striking targets on the other side of the strait that separates it from China. The Trump administration’s approval of the HIMARS sale in his first term marked a turning point, signaling U.S. support for expanding Taiwan’s deterrence options.

While a military conflict with China does not appear to be imminent, the People’s Liberation Army has continually ratcheted up the pressure on the self-ruled democracy Beijing considers part of its territory. The number of Chinese military aircraft crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait — once a tacitly accepted border between the two sides — has more than doubled since President Lai Ching-te took office in May 2024.

In February, President Lai pledged to increase defense spending to 3% of GDP, while the island’s defense minister has also emphasized that Taiwan "cannot rely on the goodwill of others to maintain peace.”

Monday’s test didn’t proceed without a glitch. A signal anomaly appeared to delay testing at one point but technicians from the U.S. helped resolve the issue, according to Ho Chih-chung, an officer of the Army’s 58th Artillery Command.

Technical personnel from Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of HIMARS, were on site at Taiwan’s main missile testing facility in southern Pingtung County, to provide assistance.

In addition to long-range missiles, the HIMARS can also launch 70-km-range rockets, filling a crucial gap in Taiwan’s arsenal. Domestically produced rockets have a maximum range of about 45 km, which analysts say is no longer sufficient to counter the evolving tactics of the PLA.

"The HIMARS rockets, with their extended range and improved precision, address the limitations of Taiwan’s existing systems,” said Chieh Chung, an adjunct associate research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, a government-funded think tank in Taipei.

Chieh added that the mobility of the HIMARS platform allows it to rapidly relocate and engage targets, offering an advantage in the event of a PLA amphibious landing.

However, the system’s extended range also poses operational challenges. It requires accurate long-distance target acquisition, which requires greater coordination with allied forces or Taiwan’s other branches of the military. "This compels the Army to improve its information systems, communications networks, and inter-service coordination,” Chieh said.

While the HIMARS is far from sufficient to defeat the PLA on its own, Monday’s test launch — or "shooting verification” as the Defense Ministry prefers to call it — nonetheless sent a strong political signal to Beijing, according to Jack Chen, Director of Formosa Defense Vision, an advocacy group. "It provides psychological deterrence with its ability to strike key infrastructure along the Chinese coast, but we still need a broader range of weapons.”

Taiwan received the initial shipment of 11 HIMARS units last year, alongside two training simulators. A second batch — including 18 launchers, 864 precision rockets, and 20 tactical missiles — is expected to arrive in 2026.

Taiwan is scheduled to launch its annual Han Kuang military exercise in July. The drill, previously five days, will be extended to ten days this year, reflecting the island’s intensified focus on combat readiness.