Taiwan unveils powerful Himars, boosting defense against China
Taiwan has showcased the operational capability of its unit equipped with powerful M142 HIMARS launchers. These launchers can strike targets even within the territory of the People's Republic of China. We explore what these systems can do.
Wang Ting-yu, the chairman of Taiwan's national defense committee, shared photos of the M142 HIMARS launchers during a visit to a central military base on January 6 at 11:00 PM Eastern Time. He commended the military personnel trained in the United States, highlighting their proficiency in operating the M142 HIMARS systems and their outstanding morale.
Taiwan acquired 11 M142 HIMARS launchers under a 2020 agreement, delivered at the end of 2024 and shown for the first time. However, this is not the end of the deliveries, as a second batch of 18 launchers is also planned. It's worth noting that along with the HIMARS, Taiwan acquired MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles.
M142 HIMARS — key long-range weapon for Taiwan
The M142 HIMARS systems were developed as a more affordable and easier-to-airlift counterpart to the M270 MLRS systems. They achieved this by mounting the launcher on the chassis of a six-wheeled M1140 truck and using a single launch pod container for six GMLRS rockets or one MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missile.
GMLRS rockets, equipped with inertial navigation (INS) and satellite navigation (GPS), can strike targets up to 50 miles away with an accuracy of a few feet. However, if the opponent has GPS jamming capabilities, the precision slightly decreases. The most common variant is the M31A1/A2, which has a classic 198-pound warhead.
The warhead itself contains 51 pounds of explosives, and the fuze can be set to different operation modes. The default is detonation upon impact, but an airburst or delayed explosion, ideal for attacking fortifications, is possible, as was demonstrated in the Ukrainian attack on Ivanivske.
The second widely used type is the M30A1 rockets, which have the so-called Alternative Warhead (AW) for area effect. This weapon was developed as an alternative to controversial cluster munitions. The warhead contains 182,000 tungsten balls surrounding a core of powerful explosives. The fuze is designed to detonate the rocket in mid-air, resulting in a shower of fragments with enough energy to penetrate body armor, rocket casings, or tanks.
M142 HIMARS with MGM-140 ATACMS — a duo enabling attacks on Chinese territory
The MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles offer much greater capabilities, with a range of up to 186 miles. Taiwan most likely received the latest variants, which come in three versions. These include missiles from the M48, M57, and M57E1 series, which have a large WAU-23/B fragmentation warhead weighing approximately 441 pounds. The warhead detonates upon hitting the target for the M48 variant, while an airburst above the target or a delay is possible for the M57 variant.
Cluster variants are available in both general-purpose and anti-armor versions. The first variant, M39A1, contains a payload of 300 M74 APAM bomblets, the effectiveness of which the Russians have repeatedly experienced during the war in Ukraine.
The second type, M39A3, is more intriguing, which uses Brilliant Anti-armor Technology (BAT) submunitions. These submunitions can autonomously detect targets like tanks using acoustic and thermal sensors and subsequently attack them, similar to the Bonus or SMArt 155 artillery shells. This gives Taiwan the capability to significantly hinder Beijing's preparations for a potential invasion.
