On Thursday, June 23, the U.S. State Department released a summary of the Japan-U.S. Extended Deterrence Dialogue (EDD) that took place from June 21st to the 22nd. During the EDD, the United States and Japan shared assessments of the regional security environment. The U.S. side provided a briefing on the current state of U.S. nuclear capabilities, including the posture and modernization program of its nuclear triad, as well as its declaratory policy, based on the recently completed Nuclear Posture Review. The two sides held in-depth discussions on extended deterrence and how arms control, nonproliferation, conventional forces and missile defense contribute to integrated deterrence as well as to credible and resilient extended deterrence.
On Friday, June 24, Space Force will stand up its newest delta with the formation of Space Delta 18, which will operate the National Space Intelligence Center (NSIC). The new organization will be tasked with helping the Space Force to identify and track threats in orbit, both kinetic and non-kinetic. It will be formally established at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The formation of the NSIC has been a part of the Space Force’s plan for some time. Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond released a planning document in November 2020 calling for it to work in concert with the rest of the service’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance enterprise to grow “space intelligence at foundational, tactical, operational, and strategic levels.”
Also on Friday, the Indian Navy successfully tested a vertical-launch, short-range, surface-to-air missile (VL-SRSAM) from a warship anchored off the coast of Chandipur in Odisha. The successful test demonstrates India's ability to enhance the defense capability of naval ships against the aerial threats. Earlier this month India also successfully tested its nuclear-capable Agni-4 intermediate range ballistic missile from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha. The defense ministry said the test reaffirmed India's policy of having a 'credible minimum deterrence' capability.
On Saturday, June 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin told his counterpart from Belarus that Moscow would supply Minsk with missile systems capable of carrying nuclear weapons. According to a foreign ministry summary of the meeting, Russia "will transfer Iskander-M tactical missile systems to Belarus, which can use both ballistic and cruise missiles, both in conventional and nuclear versions." At the meeting with Putin in St Petersburg, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko expressed concern about the “aggressive”, “confrontational” and “repulsive” policies of its neighbors Lithuania and Poland.
On Sunday, June 26, Iranian state television reported that Tehran had launched a solid-fueled rocket into space, drawing a rebuke from Washington ahead of the expected resumption of stalled talks over the tattered nuclear deal. According to Ahmad Hosseini, spokesman for Iran’s Defense Ministry, Iran launched the Zuljanah, a 25.5 meter-long rocket, capable of carrying a satellite of 220 kilograms (485 pounds) that would ultimately gather data in low-earth orbit and promote Iran’s space industry. Iran had previously acknowledged that it planned more tests for the satellite-carrying rocket, which it first launched in February of last year.
