On Wednesday, June 10, 2026, Taiwan's military fired US-supplied HIMARS rockets into the Taiwan Strait for the first time. The launchers were positioned on the banks of the Dajia River on Taiwan's west coast, an area considered the most likely landing zone for any Chinese invasion.
Six trucks rolled into firing position and within three minutes, 36 rockets were launched across three waves. The exercise was carried out by the Army's 10th Corps, 58th Artillery Command. Each launcher fired six M28 practice rockets, which were designed to land close to shore rather than reach mainland China.
The drill focused on the "shoot-and-scoot" tactic, where launchers fire and then quickly relocate before the enemy can identify their position. This reflects Taiwan's strategy of asymmetric defense: many small, mobile, precision weapons that raise the cost of any attack. Taiwan cannot match China's military numbers, so it relies on speed and accuracy instead.
China conducts near-daily military activities near the island and has never renounced the use of force. The United States supplies Taiwan's weapons but does not formally recognize it as independent.
The timing was sensitive. A planned sale of 82 additional HIMARS systems appears to be on hold after President Trump met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing in May 2026. The practice rockets fell harmlessly into the strait, nine kilometers offshore, but the direction they flew demonstrated Taiwan's determination to defend itself.