Taiwan tests HIMARS, US-made rocket system capable of hitting China

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Oh. You. Pass up! Taiwan just fired its first live HIMARS rocket, part of a U.S. supplied system known for its

impact in Ukraine. The launch happened at a base in southern Taiwan

The HIMARS, short for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, has a range of about 200 miles

depending on the type of munition it's firing. But even on the low end, the HIMARS has enough power to hit China's Fujian province across the Taiwan Strait if a conflict ever broke out

Taiwan ordered 29 HIMARS launchers from Lockheed Martin. 11 are already in country

The rest are expected by 2026. The recent test fire comes as Chinese military activity is ramping up around the island

Taiwan's defense ministry says the launch followed another round of joint Chinese air and naval patrols

HIMARS achieved near iconic status in Ukraine, where the system has seen heavy use

There's even a Ukrainian folk song about it, and now the popularity may be spreading across Asia and the Pacific. HiMars

Australia recently received the first two of its own 42 HiMars and as if all those launchers weren enough to get Beijing attention just days before the test the U Air Force and Navy held a massive elephant walk

at Kadena Air Base in Japan, about 370 miles away from Taiwan

53 Air Force and Navy aircraft lined up, including stealth fighters, tankers, drones

they even had some missile systems included. The goal? A straight-up show of force

to clearly display the U.S. military is ready for action if called upon

It's what those in defense call deterrence. Kadena is the closest U.S. airbase to Taiwan

and a critical piece of America's strategy in the Indo-Pacific. China, as expected, continues to press its claim over Taiwan

but Taiwan's self-ruling government rejects those claims and says only its people will decide their future

which is why it's spending billions to modernize the Taiwanese defense. So what's next

The U.S. is expected to keep expanding its military presence in the region

Joint exercises, arms deliveries, and forward deployments are all part of the plan

And in Okinawa, U.S. Marines just wrapped up a major amphibious training mission

with new amphibious combat vehicles built for the new age of modern warfare

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