US prepares $375 million arms aid package for Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister affirms Moscow – Beijing do not need to form military alliance

In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov affirmed that military cooperation between Russia and China takes place successfully without establishing any formal alliance.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. - Photo: mid.ru

According to information from TASS news agency on September 21, Mr. Lavrov said: "We often receive questions about forming a military alliance. However, we do not need that. The two countries hold regular military exercises." He emphasized that the two countries' militaries can coordinate effectively, understand each other, and carry out joint activities without the need for alliances like NATO.

The Russian Foreign Minister also commented that the current relationship between Russia and China is at its best in the history of bilateral relations and is strategic.

On September 9, China's Ministry of National Defense announced joint exercises with the Russian navy and air force this month, including the "North-Joint 2024" exercise scheduled to take place in the Sea of ​​Japan and the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, although the specific date has not been announced.

Meanwhile, on September 12, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that the Russian and Chinese navies conducted live-fire drills against sea and air targets as part of the Ocean 2024 exercise.

German government to equip aircraft with missile defense system

According to information from the German news agency Spiegel on September 20, the German government will install a missile defense system on three new A350 aircraft, serving high-ranking leaders. The German Ministry of Defense is expected to submit a related contract to the parliamentary budget committee for approval of this program later this year.

The three A350 aircraft, manufactured by Airbus, will be used primarily by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock - Photo: Airbus

The three Airbus A350s will be used primarily by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. The defence system will use infrared technology to disable incoming missile seekers using laser pulses.

The high-tech system, developed by the Israeli company Elbit, has already been installed on several other military transport aircraft. The installation will be carried out in stages to avoid the situation where all three aircraft are out of service at the same time. The last of the three aircraft was delivered to the German military in June.

The German Defense Ministry has not yet responded to media requests for comment on how other government aircraft are protected from missile attack.

South Korea exports Cheongung-II missiles to 3 Middle Eastern countries

South Korea's LIG Nex1 said it has signed a 3.713 trillion won ($2.8 billion) export contract for Cheongung-II missiles with the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, bringing the number of countries using this weapon to three: the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

Cheongung-II missile. - Photo: Yonhap

The Cheongung-II air defense missile system, dubbed the Korean version of the Patriot missile, is the core force in the low-altitude air defense system and a strategic weapon in the Korea Air and Missile Defense System (KAMD). The Cheongung-II is equipped with ballistic missile interception control technology, multi-function radar, and precision detection system for simultaneous engagement of multiple targets, and can intercept ballistic missiles and aircraft.

The missile was developed by the Korea Defense Research Institute (ADD). The missile and integrated system were manufactured by LIG Nex1, the multi-function radar was manufactured by Hanwha Systems, while the launcher and transport vehicle were manufactured by Hanwha Aerospace.

The Cheongung-II missile system was first exported to the UAE in 2022, marking a turning point in the history of South Korea's arms exports. The contract with the UAE was worth about $3.5 billion, making it South Korea's largest single arms contract to date. Next, in November 2023, the South Korean Ministry of National Defense signed a contract with Saudi Arabia to export 10 Cheongung-II missiles worth a total of $3.2 billion.

The export of the Cheongung-II missile system to Iraq also began to be directly mentioned after the Iraqi Defense Minister visited South Korea and met with representatives of defense industry enterprises, including LIG Nex1 in March. In May, Korean enterprises also publicly announced that they were negotiating the possibility of exporting the Cheongung-II missile to Iraq.

The consecutive deployment of Cheongung-II missiles in three Middle Eastern countries has opened up the potential for exporting South Korean defense systems.

US prepares $375 million arms aid package for Ukraine

Two US officials revealed on September 20 that the US is preparing a $375 million military aid package for Ukraine, breaking a months-long trend of providing smaller aid packages to Kiev to serve military operations against Russia.

US prepares $375 million arms aid package for Ukraine - Photo: AP

The new aid package comes at a pivotal moment in the war, as Russia attacks Ukraine's energy grid ahead of the coming winter.

The aid package - expected to be announced next week - includes patrol boats, additional ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), 155mm and 105mm artillery shells, spare parts and other weapons, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The type of weapons and the size of the aid package could change in the coming days, before being signed by the US President.

The Pentagon announced in April that it would send $1 billion worth of weapons and equipment directly from its stockpile to Kiev after Congress approved additional funding for Ukraine. Since then, however, the value of each military aid package to Ukraine has been significantly smaller, with none exceeding $400 million and most ranging from $125 million to $250 million.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/quan-su-the-gioi-hom-nay-ngay-219-my-chuan-bi-goi-vien-tro-vu-khi-375-trieu-usd-cho-ukraine-347429.html