China's reforms in the late 1990s and early 2000s helped change the face of the country's economy
Two decades of explosive growth have fueled the rapid modernization of China's military
By the 2020s, the People's Liberation Army already possesses more ships, aircraft, and combat vehicles than the Taiwanese military
Unable to compete directly with China, Taiwan changed its strategy
Instead of direct confrontation, Taiwan's goal is to prevent and delay a potential invasion
Taiwan has developed a huge missile arsenal, one of which is the Thunderbolt-2000
Thunderbolt-2000, or Léitíng 2000, is a wheeled MLRS system manufactured by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology
Developed by Taiwan to replace the aging Kung Feng VI 117 mm multiple launch rocket system
Thunderbolt-2000 was created with the intention of attacking enemy forces when disembarking from sea
The Thunderbolt-2000 system was first introduced in 1997 and entered service with the Taiwanese military in 2011
Initially, the weapon system was originally placed on the chassis of a M977 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck
It was later replaced by the MAN HX81 8x8 wheel truck, with the first order batch including 57 launchers and 54 ammunition reloader vehicles
The hull and chassis features a forward cab and rear-set flatbed to which the launcher component is seated
The launcher is given full 360-degree traversal with built-in elevation capability allowing the unit to aim in the direction of fire
without the vehicle having to be turned
The 8x8 wheeled arrangement is divided into two sections of two axles each
to displace weight and support legs are lowered prior to firing to help stabilize the vehicle
The launcher unit is modular and can support variable warhead types depending on missions
This includes three types of rockets: Mk.15 (117 mm), Mk.30 (180 mm) and Mk.45 (230 mm)
The mark number of each rocket type indicates the maximum range in kilometers: 15, 30, and 45 km, respectively
According to Taiwannews, Taiwan has a new variant, which has a range of 100 kilometers
and will likely be transferred to the Army for deployment once it passes tests
There is no official confirmation on whether this latest MLRS has entered production or is still in the developmental phase
Due to increasing threats Taiwan has developed more advanced versions of the existing family of rockets with increased ranges
With a range of 200-300km the new munitions are able to reach China from Taiwan’s main island