TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Acquiring High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers fundamentally shifts the Army’s role, DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said recently.

Instead of relying on the Navy and Air Force for fire support as in the past, the Army could become a key force capable of “opening up the skies” for Taiwan’s Air Force, Wang said, per Liberty Times. With Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles launched from HIMARS, along with other advanced munitions, it could help shift the balance of air superiority.

Taiwan originally purchased 11 HIMARS launchers in 2022 but ordered an additional 18 systems in 2024. This first batch was commissioned in July at the Army’s 58th Artillery Command, significantly boosting its capability to conduct long-range precision strikes and provide mobile counterstrike support. In December 2025, the US approved the potential sale of an additional 82 systems for NT$350.3 billion (US$11.11 billion).

The package would include 420 M57 ATACMS missiles, some of which are the Precision Strike Missile, with an estimated maximum range of nearly 500 km.

Wang, who sits on the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, said that if a sale is finalized, the Army’s HIMARS force could grow to more than 100 launchers. With that figure, Taiwan would have the world’s second-largest HIMARS force after the US, which has roughly 400.

This would underscore Taiwan’s determination to defend itself, Wang said.