The military is next month to officially establish a unit to oversee the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to enhance its cross-regional mobility and long-range strike capabilities, the Ministry of National Defense said.
The confirmation came after the army conducted its first live-fire HIMARS drill at the Jioupeng Military Base in Pingtung County last month.
Prior to the drill, the army had dedicated about six months to training personnel, a military source said.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE
The 58th Artillery Command of the 10th Army Corps is to be commissioned next month to operate the HIMARS, which would be integrated into the military’s combat readiness framework.
The nation procured 29 sets of HIMARS. Aside from simulators and training ammunition, the armed sales package also included 84 MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and 864 guided rockets.
The army has so far received 11 sets of HIMARS, 16 ATACMS and two simulators, the ministry’s latest report to the legislature showed.
Forty-eight ATACMS were scheduled to be delivered during the first quarter. The remaining 18 HIMARS, 20 ATACMS and guided rockets are scheduled to be received next year.
Military observers said that the strike accuracy of HIMARS would be optimized if it is combined with the army’s Thunderbolt-2000, a domestically produced multiple launch rocket system.
The combination would significantly enhance the military’s firepower for coastal counterattacks and strikes against enemy naval formations, they said.
The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology could consider adopting HIMARS guidance technology to enhance the fire control capabilities of domestically developed systems, military expert Cheng Chi-wen (鄭繼文) said, adding that it would help the integration of domestic and foreign platforms, and further enhance asymmetric warfare capabilities.
Meanwhile, the army is conducting intensive live-fire shooting training for M1A2T Abrams tanks from yesterday until Friday, the ministry said yesterday.
In other news, the military is to host a joint maritime and aerial precision-guided munitions live-fire exercise in August, in which it would conduct a live-fire combat validation test for the Kuai Chi (快奇) uncrewed surface vessel developed by the institute.
A public performance test and display would be held today and tomorrow near Suao (蘇澳), with 13 domestic and foreign uncrewed vessel contractors from home and abroad participating.
They include Chungshan, five contractors from the US and seven Taiwanese contractors.
Among them, Lungteh Shipbuilding, Carbon-based Technology, Thunder Tiger Group and Corum International would demonstrate the capabilities of their uncrewed vessels in remote guidance, autonomous navigation, high-speed maneuvering, real-time visual target acquisition and target locking.
The live-fire test is critical, as it would involve live operational validation of explosive-laden uncrewed surface vessels, a military source said.
The goal is to verify whether the attack vessels can cope with enemy interference and defensive measures to carry out successful strikes against medium to large warships, they said.
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