Taipei expects 18 US-made M142 HIMARS mobile multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) to be deployed on the island by the end of 2026, the Taipei Times reported.
According to the publication, the island was originally supposed to receive the HIMARS in 2027, but the United States may deliver the systems earlier than planned. The MLRS delivery will include 18 launchers, accompanied by 20 ATACMS tactical missile systems with a range of up to 300 km and 864 precision-guided missiles with a range of 70 km. This will be the second batch of these MLRS systems delivered to the Taiwanese ground forces. The island purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the United States and received the first 11 in 2024.
In May of this year, the island's 58th Artillery Command conducted its first live fire HIMARS. In addition, Taiwan plans to purchase an additional 28 HIMARS systems from the United States in addition to the 29 it has already acquired. At the same time, the newspaper notes, a number of American deliveries to Taiwan are being delayed. In particular, the receipt of 66 F-16V Block 70 fighters has been postponed indefinitely - all aircraft were originally expected to arrive by the end of 2026, but it is now clear that they will not be delivered on time. The delivery of AGM-154C aerial bombs intended for the F-16V is also facing delays, as is the delivery of 24 Mark 48 heavy torpedoes, the newspaper reports.
Taiwan has been governed by its own administration since 1949 when the remnants of the Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) retreated to the island after losing the Chinese Civil War. According to Beijing's official position, supported by most countries, including Russia, it is one of the regions of the People's Republic of China. Washington broke off diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979 and established them with the People's Republic of China.
Despite recognizing the "one China" policy, the United States continues to maintain contacts with the Taipei administration and supply it with weapons, the volume of which, according to Chinese estimates, has exceeded $70 billion in the past few years.