Taiwan has just put its new U.S.-supplied HIMARS launchers through their paces on the island’s west coast—and the results were anything but flawless. On June 10, Taipei staged a second straight day of coastal drills simulating a Chinese invasion, firing HIMARS for the first time from positions around Taichung. The drills came as Xi Jinping visited nuclear ally Kim Jong-un in North Korea. As China strengthens its alliances and Taiwan races to harden its defences, it is important to ask: is Taipei’s deterrent really ready for a high‑intensity war?
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