A long-range modularized rocket system affiliated with the ground forces of the PLA Eastern Theater Command participates in live-fire drills in the waters to the north of the Taiwan island on December 30, 2025. Photo: Screenshot from the WeChat account of the PLA Eastern Theater Command.

The PLA Eastern Theater Command on Tuesday released footage of its long-range live-fire artillery drills, showing the ground forces launching live-fire strikes with long-range modularized rocket systems. Zhang Chi, a professor at the National Defense University, said that the purpose of the live-fire drills is to conduct pinpoint attacks, striking straight at the weaknesses of the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.

Senior Captain Li Xi, a spokesperson of the PLA Eastern Theater Command, said that at 9 am on Tuesday, the ground forces of the PLA Eastern Theater Command conducted long-range live fire drills in the waters to the north of the Taiwan island and achieved desired effects. He then announced that at 1 pm, the ground forces of the PLA Eastern Theater Command organized live fire training, while conducting simulated long-range joint strike with units of the Navy, Air Force and Rocket Force in the waters to the south of the Taiwan island. The drills achieved desired effects.

The live-fire of the long-range modularized rocket systems served as pinpoint attacks, and the targets are extremely clear, with live-fire tests conducted into the waters off northern Taiwan island and southwestern Taiwan island respectively, Zhang said.

Zhang said that these two areas are precisely the most critical transportation routes for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities to import energy and resources. “Taiwan is an isolated island standing alone at sea with extreme resource scarcity. It relies heavily on imports for most of its energy and food supplies. Once its import channels are cut off, its combat potential will plummet rapidly, and the island will soon descend into chaos. These import transportation routes are therefore the pain points and fear points of the 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces," he said.

The live-fire shooting of the long-range modularized rocket systems demonstrates that the PLA has formidable capabilities to cut off the lifeline for the DPP authorities’ energy and resource imports at any time through fire strikes, delivering a knockout blow to them, Zhang said.

The long-range modularized rocket system has been hailed by some netizens as a "cross-sea killer weapon", and it also shone in the "Strait Thunder-2025A" exercise in the first half of this year. Its biggest strength is that it is "plentiful and effective"

Its five characteristics include: First, extended range. Compared with traditional rocket artillery, the long-range modularized rocket system has a maximum range of hundreds of kilometers, fully capable of covering the entire territory of Taiwan island.

Second, pinpoint accuracy. Unlike traditional rocket artillery that lacks guidance capability, the long-range modularized rocket system is equipped with precision guidance, achieving meter-level accuracy for strikes at hundreds of kilometers, truly capable of hitting whatever target it aims for 

Third, devastating firepower. It can launch around a dozen ammunitions of various types in a single salvo.

Fourth, high mobility. It can stop to fire and depart immediately after launching, delivering strikes with strong suddenness and boasting high survivability.

Fifth, low cost. Its manufacturing cost is significantly lower than that of conventional missiles, and it can be mass-produced independently. This is why the long-range modularized rocket system can live up to the hallmark of being "plentiful and effective" and shoulder the critical role of a "cross-sea killer weapon". 

In addition to the long-range modularized rocket system, the PLA also fields conventional missiles and other precision-guided weapons, which strike farther and with even greater accuracy. This demonstrates that the PLA’s arsenal to counter the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces is more diverse and powerful, Zhang said.