Taipei sets up first HIMARS unit
The unit's commissioning ceremony was attended by Taipei's defense minister, Wellington Koo, who said the new company's soldiers and officers underwent training in the US.
According to media reports, the HIMARS systems supplied to Taipei can fire GMLRS missiles with a range of up to 80km and ATACMS missiles with a range of up to 300km. It is unclear if both types were also provided.
Taipei reportedly ordered a total of 29 HIMARS systems from the US, 11 of which have already been delivered. In mid-May, the Taiwanese military conducted the first live-fire HIMARS drill at a local base. The systems were also tested in June.
In January, US President Donald Trump's then-national security adviser, Mike Waltz, said Washington planned to increase the pace of weapons deliveries to the self-governed Chinese region.
According to Waltz, the US wants to equip Taiwan with asymmetric defense capabilities, such as mobile missile systems, drones, and advanced surveillance technologies to raise the potential costs for China if it tries to take control over the island by force.
China considers Taiwan part of its territory under the One-China principle, and insists on eventual reunification. According to the Chinese government, peaceful reunification is preferable, but it reserves the right to use force if necessary.
Taiwan has been self-governed since 1949, when nationalist forces retreated to the island after losing the Chinese Civil War. Most nations, including Russia, recognize Taiwan as part of China.
Beijing has condemned US arms sales to Taipei as destabilizing and provocative. In response, China has conducted frequent naval and air drills around the island.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
6 hours ago
- Russia Today
Recently vandalized UK warplanes are foreign assets – ex-envoy to RT (VIDEO)
The Royal Air Force warplanes defaced by pro-Palestinian activists last month are owned not by the British government but a US hedge fund, prominent human-rights activist Craig Murray has alleged. He added that at least some of the planes appear to be routinely leased out to the Israeli military. In June, several activists from the group Palestine Action broke into Brize Norton, the UK's largest airbase, and sprayed red paint into the turbines of two Voyager aircraft before fleeing the scene undetected. The group said the stunt was a protest against the supposed involvement of the Royal Air Force in Israel's military operation in Gaza. The British authorities vowed to prosecute those responsible. Speaking to RT on Sunday, Murray, who served as British ambassador to Uzbekistan from 2002 till 2004 and is an associate of WikiLeaks' co-founder Julian Assange, said that he had discovered that the planes in question were owned by Airtanker Ltd, which, in turn, is supposedly 'owned by a string of seven fake companies.' According to Murray, behind the cutout entities stands a US hedge fund named Polygon Global Partners LLP, which is the real owner of the planes. He claimed that the entity 'has joint interests with the Trump organization and BlackRock,' which has stakes in several military industrial giants. The former British diplomat told RT that of the 14 planes in question 'nine are permanently with the RAF, and five of them are sometimes with the RAF, and sometimes can be leased out to other foreign militaries, including the Israeli military.' 'It seems to be fairly definite that the Israelis are using these planes. These planes have been frequently flying to [the RAF Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus] which has been the main military support base for Israeli activities into Gaza,' Murray claimed. He added that officials in London refuse to either confirm or deny that such military missions are carried out in support of Israel. On top of that, according to Murray, the British 'taxpayer is being ripped off' as under the contract with Polygon Global, the UK government is 'paying five times the value of these planes.' He said the agreement expires in 2049. In the wake of the vandalism, UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to designate the activist group as a terrorist organization and ban it.
Russia Today
7 hours ago
- Russia Today
Russia winning ammunition race over NATO
Russia's military production is dwarfing that of NATO, Secretary-General Mark Rutte has warned, urging Western nations to ramp up defense spending. In an interview with the New York Times on Saturday, Rutte sounded the alarm about Russia's military capabilities, noting that the country is 'reconstituting itself at a pace and a speed which is unparalleled in recent history.' He said Moscow is 'producing three times as much ammunition in three months as the whole of NATO is doing in a year.' Rutte pointed to a proposal to boost NATO defense spending to 5% of GDP – a figure US President Donald Trump has been insistent on – with 3.5% going to the core military budgets and another 1.5% earmarked for areas such as cyber defenses and preparing civilian infrastructure. 'Yes, this is an enormous amount of spending. But if we don't, we'll have to learn Russian,' the NATO chief said. Asked whether the increased defense spending risks fueling an arms race with Russia, Rutte said: 'We have to make sure that the deterrence is there,' noting Russia's heavy investment in tanks, artillery, air defense, and ammunition. 'What I'm particularly worried about is the defense industrial output… because we simply lack the defense industrial base to produce the weapons we need to make sure that we can deter the Russians or the North Koreans or whoever.' Rutte's comments come amid speculation in Western media and among some officials that Moscow will eventually attack NATO countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed the accusation as 'nonsense,' saying Moscow has no interest in invading the US-led bloc. As the Ukraine conflict rages on, Russia has significantly ramped up defense spending. Last year, Putin stated that Russia's defense industry increased its output of ammunition fourteenfold, drones fourfold, and armored vehicles by 3.5 times since the start of the hostilities. He also said Russia outproduces all NATO countries combined tenfold in missile manufacturing. In late June, Putin revealed that Russia is spending 13.5 trillion rubles ($151 billion) on defense – around 6.3% of GDP. He acknowledged that the figure is high and has fueled inflation, while noting that the US has spent even more during past conflicts – 14% of GDP during the Korean War and 10% during the Vietnam War.
Russia Today
9 hours ago
- Russia Today
Taipei sets up first HIMARS unit
The self-governing island of Taiwan has created a military unit armed with US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, in the first such case ever, the Defense Ministry said in a statement on Friday. The weapons systems were supplied to the island by Washington last year. The unit's commissioning ceremony was attended by Taipei's defense minister, Wellington Koo, who said the new company's soldiers and officers underwent training in the US. According to media reports, the HIMARS systems supplied to Taipei can fire GMLRS missiles with a range of up to 80km and ATACMS missiles with a range of up to 300km. It is unclear if both types were also provided. Taipei reportedly ordered a total of 29 HIMARS systems from the US, 11 of which have already been delivered. In mid-May, the Taiwanese military conducted the first live-fire HIMARS drill at a local base. The systems were also tested in June. In January, US President Donald Trump's then-national security adviser, Mike Waltz, said Washington planned to increase the pace of weapons deliveries to the self-governed Chinese region. According to Waltz, the US wants to equip Taiwan with asymmetric defense capabilities, such as mobile missile systems, drones, and advanced surveillance technologies to raise the potential costs for China if it tries to take control over the island by force. China considers Taiwan part of its territory under the One-China principle, and insists on eventual reunification. According to the Chinese government, peaceful reunification is preferable, but it reserves the right to use force if necessary. Taiwan has been self-governed since 1949, when nationalist forces retreated to the island after losing the Chinese Civil War. Most nations, including Russia, recognize Taiwan as part of China. Beijing has condemned US arms sales to Taipei as destabilizing and provocative. In response, China has conducted frequent naval and air drills around the island.
