On Wednesday, July 7, the U.S. Space Force's X-37B entered its 781st day in orbit of Earth, breaking its previous record of 780. The reusable vehicle designed and built by Boeing is currently flying on its sixth mission, known as Orbital Test Vehicle-6 or OTV-6, which launched on May 17, 2020. While there are rumors or theories that the X-37B might be a testbed for orbital weapons or could be used to capture adversary satellites, experts doubt these claims, arguing that the plane is far too small and not maneuverable enough to be used for these roles. The space plane's chief role likely involves testing new sensor systems and other technologies in orbit, as US military officials have long claimed.
On Thursday, July 8, the Royal Navy has revealed two high-impact missions which have been kept under wraps for months. In January and February, the service collaborated with the U.S. Navy to interdict small Iranian boats laden with surface-to-air missiles and cruise-missile components. The boats were intercepted along routes typically used to traffic weapons to Yemen. These suspicious components were shipped back to the UK for analysis. Among other items in the cargo, defense intelligence experts identified Iranian-made 351 cruise missiles and 358 surface-to-air missiles.
Also on Thursday, China demanded the U.S. cease military “collusion” with Taiwan during a virtual meeting between the joint chiefs of staff from the two countries. Gen. Li Zuocheng told Gen. Mark Milley on Thursday that China had “no room for compromise” on issues affecting its “core interests,” which include self-governing Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary. “China demands the U.S. ... cease reversing history, cease U.S.-Taiwan military collusion and avoid impacting China-U.S. ties and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” Li said. The Chinese military would “resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said. “If anyone creates a wanton provocation, they will be met with the firm counterattack from the Chinese people.”
On Monday, July 11, Ukraine claimed that Russia is now using its S-300 long-range surface-to-air missiles to attack land targets in Ukraine. The assertion, from the governor of the Mykolaiv Oblast, in southern Ukraine, suggests that Russia’s shortage of standoff weapons to attack land targets may well be worse than thought. The S-300 apparently does possess a little-known surface-to-surface capability. Using the Telegram instant messaging service, Vitaly Kim, the governor of Mykolaiv Oblast, introduced the claim about the S-300, without specifying which versions are being used. Russia operates both the S-300P series on 8x8 wheeled chassis and the S-300V that uses a tracked chassis, and which offers an improved anti-ballistic missile capability. Both S-300P and S-300V series have been used by Russia (and also by Ukraine) in the Ukrainian war. These systems can fire a variety of missiles.
Also on Monday, South Korea's military said it had detected the trajectories of what appeared to be shots fired by North Korea, possibly from multiple rocket launchers (MLRs). South Korea's Joint Chief of Staff announced that the shots were detected after 6 p.m. and that the military had strengthened surveillance and alert levels, without mentioning any further response. This year North Korea has test-fired a range of missiles, including from its largest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) to its small MLRs. All are banned under U.N. Security Council resolutions that have imposed sanctions on North Korea's missile development.
