2025/07/04
Ministry of National Defense: Minister Wellington Koo Presides Over HIMARS Rocket Company Commissioning Ceremony to Enhance ROC Armed Forces’ Precision Strike Capability
Ministry of National Defense Press Release
Time: 1820 hours, July 4, 2025
The Army 58th Artillery Command held a commissioning ceremony for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) company today, presided over by Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo. The minister commended the unit for its dedicated efforts in executing various preparatory tasks and expressed expectations that the integration of HIMARS would effectively enhance the Republic of China (ROC) Armed Forces’ defense capabilities, ensuring national security.
During the ceremony, Minister Koo first read the commissioning order, and the HIMARS company commander presented a model of the HIMARS rocket vehicle to the minister. Subsequently, accompanied by Army Commander General Lu and other officials, Minister Koo inspected the troops.
In his address, Minister Koo stated that he was greatly honored to preside over the commissioning ceremony of the rocket company, noting its significance as the first HIMARS unit established within the ROC Armed Forces. Since last year, selected personnel from various units have successively completed training in the United States for equipment acquisition, firing command post integration training, ammunition vehicle handling training, and other tasks, as well as this year’s precision missile firing exercises. Additionally, the company underwent a combat readiness evaluation by the Army Command in June, achieving outstanding results—a highly commendable accomplishment. The minister encouraged personnel to maintain their sense of unit pride and deliver equally exceptional performance in the upcoming Han Kuang live-fire exercises and other missions.
Minister Koo further stated that the commissioning of this new unit presents a unique challenge. The focus is not only on mastering the operation of the weapon system but also on seamlessly integrating it into the joint operations framework. The establishment of the HIMARS company enhances the ROC Armed Forces’ precision strike capability and overall defense effectiveness, contributing to deterring conflict and safeguarding national peace and security.
Minister Koo also outlined three key points for the HIMARS company personnel to uphold. First, enhance training and focus on core combat readiness. The HIMARS system represents a significant breakthrough in the ROC Army’s long-range precision strike capability, enabling rapid cross-regional fire support. Combined with the Army’s tactical surface-to-surface missiles, it equips the ROC Armed Forces to conduct precise strikes on critical enemy targets.
Therefore, Minister Koo urged all levels of leadership to implement realistic training requirements, adopt innovative and asymmetric approaches, integrate new tactics, and diligently pursue core combat readiness to elevate overall unit capability.
Second, Minister Koo encouraged the unit to foster a supportive environment and improve personnel quality. He emphasized that, regardless of technological advancements or the sophistication of equipment, the outcome of warfare depends on personnel quality. Therefore, enhancing recruitment and retention, as well as prioritizing talent development, are critical tasks for the unit. The minister urged leadership at all levels to adopt a service-oriented approach to gain personnel’s trust, strengthen their commitment, foster unit cohesion, and create a positive service environment that feels like “home” to solidify retention. Additionally, he encouraged personnel to pursue further education in their spare time to substantively enhance their qualifications for national service.
Third, strengthen risk management to ensure training safety. Minister Koo emphasized that safety is the foundation of all operations, and without safety, nothing can be achieved. Therefore, leadership at all levels must reinforce risk management concepts, adopt a proactive mindset of anticipating and preparing for risks, and actively prevent safety incidents to ensure overall unit safety.
Minister Koo noted that, following the integration of new equipment, operations must adhere to established procedures, steps, and guidelines. Safety regulations tailored to specific personnel, times, locations, and tasks must be issued, with layered risk controls implemented. By aligning training requirements with safety protocols, personnel’s hard work and dedication can yield maximum results and rewards.