Republic of China Army Forms First American HIMARS Rocket Artillery Unit: How Will it Perform in the Taiwan Strait?

<p >The Republic of China Army (RoCA) has formed its first full unit equipped with M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), with the units commissioning ceremony attended by Defence Minister Wellington Koo who confirmed that training of the unit’s personnel in the United States had been completed. The systems have been equipped with GMLRS rockets with 80 kilometre ranges, although some unconfirmed reports indicate that they has also been equipped with ATACMS ballistic missiles with 300 kilometre ranges, placing a wide range of targets on the Chinese mainland within reach. The self-proclaimed Republic of China government based in Taipei claims to be the sole government of the entire Chinese nation, and is currently in a state of civil war with the People’s Republic of China government based in Beijing. </p><p >The Republic of China has often struggled to procure modern armaments from abroad due to its effective status as a non-state actor, with only twelve countries, primarily Pacific island such as Palau and Tuvalu, recognising its claims to represent the Chinese nation, while it retains no representation at the United Nations or other major international organisations. The rise in geopolitical tensions between the United States and the Chinese mainland, however, has led Washington to provide greater support to Taipei including offering new kinds of armaments to the Republic of China Armed Forces. Other notable sales have included <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/republic-china-air-force-receives-first-f16-block70" target="_blank">F-16 Block 70 fighters </a>and <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/taiwan-first-new-tanks-30-years-m1a2t-abrams" target="_blank">M1A2 Abrams tanks</a>.</p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/07/06/article_6869d4fa6921b4_22841705.png" title="Republic of China Army HIMARS Live Fire Test Launch"></p><p >The HIMARS first entered service in the U.S. Army in 2005, and has been procured in <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/poland-himars-deployment-russia-northern-border" target="_blank">particularly large numbers</a> by Poland and Ukraine. The system has been intensively combat tested in the Ukrainian theatre, and although its precision guidance capabilities have <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russian-electronic-warfare-turning-tide" >frequently proven</a> to be <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/himars-less-effective-uimproving-russian-cntrmsrs" >far from reliable </a>against Russian frontline targets due to the effective use of electronic warfare to protect such positions. When equipped with ATACMS ballistic missiles, however, HIMARS have proven effective at striking critical infrastructure deep behind the frontlines which lack such protection. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s significantly superior air defence and electronic warfare capabilities, however, are expected to leave the utility of HIMARS significantly more limited than in Ukraine, as is the much smaller length of the expected frontline in the Taiwan Strait which will limit the number of targets which can be engaged. </p><p >The HIMARS’ precision guidance capabilities rely heavily on <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/all-nato-satellite-network-backs-ukraine" target="_blank">support from NATO satellites</a>, with attacks reported by Russian sources to have also been <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/britain-france-central-role-facilitating-ukrainian-attack-energy-infrastructure" target="_blank">extensively supported</a> by NATO personnel on the ground in Ukraine. This raises the possibility that similar Western support will be provided should such attacks also be launched across the Taiwan Strait. The rapid <a href="https://www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/2025-05-27/taiwan-military-trainers-testimony-17924124.html" target="_blank">expansion</a> of the American military presence on Taiwan island has fuelled speculation that one of their tasks will be to prepare for strikes on critical mainland civilian and military targets in the event of conflict. </p>

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