On Monday, it was announced that the US 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command along with nine other NATO nation air defense forces had finished the Tobruq Legacy 2020 exercise. Tobruq Legacy 20, a biennial air defense exercise, took place in Lithuania in order to test NATO's integrated air and missile defense operations.
On Tuesday, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced that the US State Department had cleared a possible $55.311 million sale of RAM Block 2 Tactical Missiles and related equipment to Japan. This announcement comes as Japan's Defense Ministry submitted a record-high defense budget request of $52 billion and is considering various upgrades to its land, sea, cyber, and space capabilities.
Also on Tuesday, and going through Thursday the US Army hosted its annual Fires Conference virtually. This year's conference featured briefings from several army leaders and laid out plans for the further modernization of US military capabilities and operations.
Also on Tuesday, it was reported that US forces, along with NATO allies Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Sweden, had completed the Astral Knight joint multinational air defense exercise in Poland. The exercises tested both ground and air defenses to increase cohesion and flexibility for each of the nations' defense systems.
On Wednesday, the US military received its first Iron Dome battery from Israel, with a second set to be delivered as well. This delivery comes one year after a deal was signed between the US and Israel for the US to procure its own Iron Dome missile defense system.
Also on Wednesday, six rockets landed near Erbil International Airport in Kurdistan, with three striking a base in which US troops are located. No US injuries or damage were reported, however, the attack is suspected to have involved the possible use of larger-scale weapons.
Also on Wednesday, tensions flared after Armenia's Defense Ministry refused to rule out the use of Iskander missile complexes against Azerbaijan. That same day, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry announced that their armed forces had successfully deactivated an Armenian S-300 surface-to-air-missile in Karabakh. It was also claimed by Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry that Armenia had used a Tochka-U tactical missile system against Azerbaijani troops in Karabakh.
On Thursday, the US State Department announced the approval of a possible sale of the Patriot missile system to Switzerland. The foreign military sale (FMS) comes shortly after the Switzerland government requested to purchase five Patriot Modernized Fire units.
Also on Thursday, the U.S. Army and MDA successfully conducted an integrated Patriot and THAAD intercept test at White Sands Missile Range. During the test, the THAAD TPY-2 radar provided track data to a Patriot PAC-3 MSE interceptor, that successfully intercepted a theater ballistic missile target. This test followed a February intercept test, that failed to intercept the target.
On Sunday, it was reported that North Korea had been seen moving an ICBM along with four mobile launchers to an auto plant in Pyongyang. This comes as speculation surrounds potential new technologies that may be unveiled at North Korea's upcoming military parade.
