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On Wednesday June 28, it was reported that Lithuania has bought two Norwegian-made NASAMS air defense launchers for Ukraine and will deliver them within three months, the government said Wednesday. The announcement came as President Gitanas Nauseda arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday for talks with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. “The NASAMS launchers will reach Ukraine in the near future,” Nauseda said on Facebook.
On Thursday, June 29, it was reported Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out supplying Ukraine with the Iron Dome missile defense system, reiterating Israel’s concern that the vital technology could fall into the hands of Iran. Netanyahu was asked during an interview with The Wall Street Journal published Wednesday about Israel’s support for Ukraine, and how it is balanced with Jerusalem’s need to maintain its ties with Moscow amid the ongoing Russian invasion of its neighbor.
Also on Thursday, it was reported that although North Korea is seen as posing the greatest threat to South Korea now, Bennett said China is more likely to be "the principal opponent" of South Korea in 10 years. Riki Ellison, founder and chairman of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, said in an email to VOA Korean, "China will always be upset with anything missile defense related no matter if it's the THAAD or other systems deployed near its borders that would be seen to be an offset to China's superiority in capacity of its rocket and missile forces no matter how small the numbers are." He continued, "If China wants to get rid of the THAAD in Korea, then China has to [persuade Pyongyang] to get rid of or significantly reduce North Korea's rocket and missile forces facing South Korea."
On Friday June 30, it was reported that South Korea's Air Force is set to open an upgraded missile defense operations center in a city just south of Seoul, officials said, in yet another move to strengthen the nation's anti-missile shield against growing North Korean threats. The KAMD Operations Center will open in Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, some 60 kilometers south of Seoul, following a capability upgrade designed to respond "more swiftly and effectively" to ballistic missile threats, according to the Air Force.
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