9 hours ago - World

Taiwan tests Lockheed launchers in China's direction

Colin Demarest

Dusk sky, multiple missiles launch from armored vehicles on a grassy field near water; bright orange flames with white smoke trails arc across the scene. — Taiwan's military fires HIMARS during an exercise in Taichung. Photo: Cheng Yu-chen/AFP via Getty Images

Taiwan for the first time fired U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems off its western coast, toward the highly contested Taiwan Strait.

Why it matters: The salvos were part of a larger exercise simulating an invasion and potential countermeasures.

The direction of the practice fire "makes sense" because "that's the most logical place for a mainland Chinese invasion," Sean King, an Asia scholar and senior vice president at Park Strategies, told Axios.

Zoom in: The Lockheed Martin-made launchers are a key piece of Taiwan's arsenal. Notably, they're mobile. During these drills, troops practiced what's known as "shoot-and-scoot" — concealing themselves, firing and quickly repositioning.

Yes, but: There were some misfires, TaiwanPlus and Taiwan News reported.

Zoom out: China considers Taiwan a renegade province and regularly pesters the island with warships and warplanes.

The People's Liberation Army entered Taipei's air defense identification zone "a staggering 3,075 times in 2024," according to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.

Flashback: Taiwanese forces also recently tested Anduril Industries Altius drones. They struck offshore targets.

Go deeper: Lockheed tapped for Taiwan F-16 sensors

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Taiwan tests Lockheed launchers in China's direction

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