HONG KONG, January 28. /TASS/. The Taiwanese army has conducted its first military exercise of the year, which involved US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, the Taipei Times reported.

According to the newspaper, the exercise, which took place in the Taichung municipality on January 27, demonstrated "the newly acquired High Mobility Artillery Rocket System’s (HIMARS) ability to provide fire support and deep-strike capabilities."

Taiwan’s Army Command Headquarters said after the drills that military personnel would continue to train and remain on guard before and throughout the celebrations of the Lunar New Year, which falls on February 17 this year.

Taiwan purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 of them in 2024. The island’s 58th Artillery Command carried out the first live firing exercise involving the systems in May 2025. Taipei expects that the remaining 18 launchers will be delivered to the island before the end of 2026. In addition, Taipei has announced plans to buy another 82 HIMARS systems, along with 1,203 pods of precision rockets and 420 tactical missiles.

Taiwan has been governed by its local administration since 1949 when the remaining Kuomintang forces, led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975), fled to the island after being defeated in China’s civil war. However, Beijing considers the island to be one of its provinces, a position shared by the majority of countries, including Russia. Washington severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979, establishing ties with China. While recognizing the One China policy, the US continues to engage with the Taipei administration and provide weapons to the island. According to China’s estimates, the US has provided over $70 billion in military assistance to Taiwan in recent years.