EARLY ARRIVALS:
The first sets of HIMARS purchased from the United States have arrived ahead of schedule, with troops already training on the platforms, a source said.

• By Aaron Tu and William Hetherington / Reporter, with the editor and Reuters

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) said yesterday it had spotted 35 Chinese military aircraft, including fighters and bombers, flying south from Taiwan proper en route to exercises in the Pacific, the second day in a row it has reported such activities.

China’s Ministry of National Defense did not respond to a request for comment on the missions, reported just days before tomorrow’s U.S. presidential election.

The United States is required by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. Its arms sales to Taipei include a missile system worth $2 billion announced last month.

Photo courtesy of the Department of National Defense

The Defense Ministry said that as of 9 a.m. yesterday, it detected 37 Chinese military aircraft, including J-16 fighters, nuclear-capable H-6 bombers and drones.

Among them, 35 flew to southwest, south and southeast of Taiwan in the western Pacific to carry out long-range training, the ministry said, adding that it sent its own forces to ensure monitoring.

On Saturday, the ministry said China carried out another “joint combat readiness patrol” with warships and aircraft near Taiwan.

In related news, a source said yesterday that the first sets of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) purchased from the United States in 2020 and 2022 arrived in Taiwan last month ahead of schedule. planned.

The Army purchased 29 sets of HIMARS in two purchases, with the first 11 sets initially expected to arrive between the end of this year and the beginning of next year, and the remainder in 2026.

The 58th Artillery Command of the 10th Army Corps, stationed in central Taiwan, is training with these platforms, the source said.

Taiwan had initially sought to purchase M109A6 howitzers from the United States, but later reached an agreement to purchase HIMARS after the howitzers were no longer available.

In addition to the HIMARS, the purchase included 84 MGM-140 Military Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), 864 precision rockets, two sets of training simulators and other ancillary equipment.

The HIMARS are to be operated by the Army, while the Air Force Air Defense and Missile Command would continue to operate the Hsiung Feng (“Brave Wind”, 雄風) missile systems produced in the country. The ATACMS would be deployed based on assessments made by the General Staff Headquarters units.

In an interview, Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a researcher at the state-run National Defense and Security Research Institute, said Taiwan would use two types of munitions with the HIMARS: a traditional rocket of one range of 50 km to 70 km and ATACMS missiles with a range of 300 km.

The army could eventually acquire precision strike missiles with a range of nearly 500 km, he said.

The sale of missiles with a range of 300 km to Taiwan demonstrates mutual trust between Taipei and Washington, which would facilitate future purchases, he said.