Taipei: Taiwan made the live firing debut of Land Sword II on Tuesday, according to the Ministry of National Defense, as part of an effort to increase air defense readiness. A post on X gave the Surface-to-Air Missile System’s specifications.
According to the MND, Land Sword II can also handle a variety of airborne threats, which greatly improves force protection.
Videos of the Missile System’s launch and live fire were included in the MND’s shared graphics.
“The live fire premiere of Land Sword II.” This SAM system greatly improves force protection for #ROCArmy and can counter a variety of aerial threats,” MND stated on X.
This comes after Focus Taiwan reported that Taiwan successfully fired the American-supplied high mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS) for the first time on Monday at a base in Pingtung County.
The 58th Artillery Command of the Taiwan Army conducted the exercise, which took place at the Jiupeng Base in Manjhou Township, according to Focus Taiwan.
It further said that the HIMARS may be outfitted with a single Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) with a range of up to 300 kilometers or a single pod that holds six 227mm rockets.
Eleven launch vehicles fired three rounds each, resulting in a total of 33 rockets launched. However, Focus Taiwan noted that the military did not provide any information on the success of the exercises.
According to Colonel Ho Chih-chung, deputy commander of the 58th Artillery, the US supplier also sent staff to the location to help with any technical difficulties that arose during the live-fire drill.
Focus Taiwan reports that the United States has sold 29 HIMARS to Taiwan, with the first delivery of 11 arriving in 2024. The second batch of 18 HIMARS will be delivered next year rather than in 2027 as first intended, according to a Ministry of National Defense study that was presented to the Legislative Yuan in March.
Images of the HIMARS test-firing were also posted on X by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND).
MND posted on X, “#HIMARS debuts in #Taiwan, showcasing rapid deployment and next-generation strike capabilities.”
As China’s actions in the Taiwan Strait continue, these issues gain significance.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said on Wednesday that it has spotted 35 PLA aircraft, eight PLAN ships, and two government ships conducting sorties in the Taiwan area.
The long-running and intricate geopolitical dispute between China and Taiwan is centered on Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Officially referred to as the Republic of China (ROC), Taiwan functions as a de facto sovereign state with its own government, military, and economy.
The “One China” doctrine, which maintains that there is only one China with Beijing as its capital, is insisted upon by China, which views Taiwan as a renegade province.
Beijing has continuously said that it wants to reunite with Taiwan and has isolated Taiwan on a global scale via diplomatic, economic, and military pressure.
