Taiwan’s recent launch of Himars rockets westwards towards the Taiwan Strait highlights how the island’s defensive strategy is shifting to the use of mobile strike weapons to disrupt a mainland Chinese attack before it reaches shore.

The exercise on June 10 was the first time the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System had been launched in the direction of mainland China. Beijing has yet to respond to the launches.

Analysts said the significance of the drill lay in what it revealed about how Taiwan plans to employ one of its most important new weapons in a cross-strait conflict.

Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China and has never renounced the use of force to reunite it with the mainland.

Most countries, including its main international partner the United States, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.

During the drill, the launchers were deployed on both sides of the Dajia River estuary near Taichung on the island’s west coast.

The simulated exercise involved enemy forces advancing into northern Taiwan, with the launchers deployed in central Taiwan to provide rapid reinforcement and carry out precision strikes.