Taiwan’s HIMARS Capable of Striking China’s Coast and Inland Military Bases

Taiwan plans to deploy HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems on the Penghu and Dongyin islands to target sites along China’s coast.

According to the Taipei Times, citing a military source, the deployment is intended to push Chinese military forces at least 100 km farther inland.

Taiwan is set to receive 111 HIMARS launchers and 504 ATACMS ballistic missiles from the United States. The missiles have a strike range of up to 300 km.

Stationing the systems on Taiwan’s outer islands would allow the military to strike key Chinese military facilities in Fujian Province.

The HIMARS systems are expected to be assigned to artillery commands within each army corps, though some will be placed directly under the defense commands responsible for the islands.

Taiwan has already deployed its domestically developed Thunderbolt-2000 rocket systems on the Penghu Islands, with additional deployments planned for the Kinmen and Lienchiang areas.

ATACMS missiles launched from Penghu would be capable of striking PLA amphibious staging areas in the cities of Quanzhou, Xiamen, and Zhangzhou. With the Taiwan Strait measuring about 200 km across, these systems could also target rear logistics and supply hubs located more than 150 km inland from the Chinese coast.

Dongyin Island is considered especially important strategically because it is Taiwan’s northernmost territory and lies only 34 km from China’s Xishuan Islands.

From Dongyin, mobile missile units could strike the naval base in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, and an airbase near Fuzhou.

Chinese radar sites and air defense systems operated by the Eastern Theater Command of the PLA would also be within range, alongside naval and air force facilities.

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense has also allocated funding for the future purchase of Precision Strike Missiles. These next-generation missiles have a range of up to 500 km, allowing Taiwan to project firepower deep into mainland China even from the island’s main territory.

In October 2024, Taiwan received its first batch of U.S.-made M142 HIMARS rocket systems.