Image Credentials: Image Title: Taiwan Expands Defense Capabilities with Major HIMARS and NASAMS Purchase Source: (sora.chatgpt) Date: August 2025 Attribution: Created by AI-generated imagery (sora.chatgpt), it does not depict a real-world scene.
By Staff Writer | Open Chronicle with Agencies
Taiwan is set to significantly boost its long-range strike and air defense capabilities with the planned procurement of 28 additional M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and nine more National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), according to senior military sources.
The new order comes on top of Taiwan’s earlier purchase of 29 HIMARS launchers from the United States, 11 of which have already been delivered. Once the new systems arrive, Taiwan’s HIMARS arsenal will total 57 launchers. The army has also increased its acquisition of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) from 64 to 84 units, providing a potent 300km strike capability with high precision, boasting a circular error probability of just 5 to 10 meters.
Each HIMARS can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) capable of hitting targets up to 85km away, or a single ATACMS for deep strikes. Taiwan recently tested the HIMARS in live-fire drills at Jiupeng Base in Pingtung County and in separate exercises conducted by the Army Command Headquarters.
On the air defense front, Taiwan plans to add nine more NASAMS units, in addition to the three previously contracted under a NT$24.99 billion (US$837 million) deal. The first set is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, enhancing the city’s defensive shield.
NASAMS offers a crucial advantage, the ability to fire air-to-air missiles normally used by fighter jets, even if airstrips are disabled. When paired with extended-range AIM-120 AMRAAMs, NASAMS can strike aerial threats up to 50km away, filling the medium-range gap between the long-range Patriot and Tien Kung missile systems and shorter-range defenses like the Tien Chien II and Avenger systems.
The HIMARS expansion is projected to cost around NT$40 billion, while the additional NASAMS, radars, and a stockpile of 339 various missiles could total NT$110 billion. The purchases are pending Executive Yuan approval, after which the legislature will review a special act for military procurements before the final budget is revealed.
Analysts say the combined HIMARS and NASAMS acquisitions will dramatically enhance Taiwan’s ability to deter and respond to potential threats, providing both long-range precision strike capabilities and layered air defense.
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