Twenty-nine sets of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) that the military purchased from the US in 2020 and 2022 are to be delivered in different batches between the end of this year and 2026, based on the military’s plan, Ednews informs referring to Taipei Times.

International demand for HIMARS has been high after it has helped Ukraine hit long-range targets with precision in its war with Russia. Before the war in Ukraine, the US government had agreed to sell 11 sets of HIMARS to Taiwan after it was confirmed that M109A6 howitzer artillery weapons would not be available to procure.

The military later purchased 18 more sets of HIMARS.

The second procurement package, which cost approximately NT$32.5 billion ($1 billion), also includes 84 MGM-140 army tactical missiles and 864 rockets.

Based on the military’s plan, the first order of 11 sets of HIMARS is to be delivered between the end of this year and next year, while the remaining sets would be delivered before the end of 2026.

The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on Friday last week said that the US Department of State had approved the sale of 16 sets of HIMARS to Norway. The arms sales package, which topped US$580 million, also included 15 sets of M30A2 multiple rocket pods, 15 sets of M31A2 multiple rocket pods and 100 MGM-140 pods, as well as logistics, training and technical support.

Both M30A2 and M31A2 rockets are guided by GPS, making them more accurate in hitting their targets than traditional rockets.

Their maximum shooting range is about 92km.

The M30A2 rocket is designed with submunitions, while the M31A2 rocket is equipped with a single high-explosive warhead. The MGM-140 missiles purchased by Norway not only have a range of up to 300km, but also have a very high accuracy, with a circular arithmetic error of only 9m.