Jeff Gaulin, MBA, MA’s Post

#DYK #NorthKorean tanks are also in #Iran? "#Russia’s tank shortages could potentially provide a major opening for #NorthKorea to emerge as a supplier of armor to Russia. North Korea in the past has exported domestically produced tanks to #Ethiopia and #Iran and modernization packages, including features such as laser range finders, to enhance Soviet-built tanks operated more widely abroad." "Available information on North Korea’s latest class of main #battletank, the Chonma 2, indicates that it is more capable than most tanks in Russian service, with a modern battle management system, thermal sights, a hard kill active protection system, and access to armor piercing fin stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) rounds with an excellent length-to-diameter ratio indicating a very high penetrative capability. (Unveiled in 2020, the tank was previously referred to in the West as the “M2020” before its actual designation was confirmed in May.)" #armsindustry #UkraineWar "The return of the T-62 to the frontlines of the #Russian #Army’s inventories also raises the possibility that North Korea could be relied on to supply 115mm smoothbore rounds, which are not used by any other Russian tank class, and thus may not have remained in storage in significant numbers after the large majority of the T-62 fleet was scrapped." https://lnkd.in/gM3bBwja

What's behind a historic, unusual U.S. military cash transfer to Canadian mines   The #Pentagon fears global unrest, a shortage of raw materials, and seeks to kickstart projects here   The U.S. military has, for the first time in generations, spent public money on #minerals projects inside Canada: nearly $15 million US to mine and process copper, gold, graphite and cobalt in Quebec and the Northwest Territories.   It might not be the last: Officials expect additional cross-border announcements under the more than half-billion-dollar U.S. program.   These minerals are vital ingredients in an endless array of civilian and #military products — including medicine, batteries, electronics, engines, cars, planes, drones and munitions.   https://lnkd.in/e3WJsCcy   #m2icorp #m2i #minerals #metals #otcqb #mtwo Doug Cole Jeffrey W. Talley  

Breaking News as reported on AP: #China announced Tuesday it is banning exports to the United States of #gallium, #germanium, #antimony and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications, as a general principle, lashing back at U.S. limits on #semiconductor-related exports. All these minerals are used for EV batteries, night vision, modern aircraft, and smartphones just name a few. The US in Canada do have companies ( i.e. : #Perpetua Resources Corp., #Military Metals Corp and #MP Materials Corp.) that mine these minerals but are very small and not leaders in this sector like China.

In the lead up to the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the UK has today announced further asset freezes which, according to the press release, includes: * Companies linked to manufacturing munitions such as rocket launch systems, missiles, explosives and other critical goods used in military equipment. This includes Sverdlov State Owned Enterprise, the largest enterprise in the Russian ammunition industry. * Key Russian importers and manufacturers of machine tools, which are instrumental in manufacturing vital defence systems and components ranging from missiles and engines to tanks and fighter jets. * Oil trader Niels Troost and his company Paramount Energy & Commodities SA. Troost facilitates the unfettered trade of Russian oil outside the reach of UK and G7 sanctions, including through UAE-based Paramount Energy & Commodities DMCC, which the UK designated in November 2023.  * Fractal Marine DMCC, Beks Ship Management, and Active Shipping, which operate in the Russian energy sector as part of Putin’s shadow fleet. * Two Russian diamond companies and Pavel Alekseevich Marinychev, the new CEO of Alrosa, the largest state-owned Russian diamond producer, estimated to hold a 30% share in the global diamond market. * Five senior executives or owners of Russia’s top producers of copper, zinc and steel. https://lnkd.in/eeZBqxXS. #sanctions #sanctionscompliance #russiaukrainewar #russia Zia Ullah Robyn Brown Kimberly Jones Charlotte Duranté Emma Middleton Matilde Hernandez Adina Khan

Armite’s Molybdenum Disulfide Petrolatum (MoS2) Anti-Seize Compound Meets MIL-PRF-83483 Rev. E (Active MIL-SPEC) - Premium Grade Temperature Service Range: -65°F to 800°F (-54°C to 426°C). Armite’s MOLY (Molybdenum Disulfide Petrolatum Anti-Seize) is manufactured to conform to the requirements of military specification MIL-PRF-83483E. Armite’s MOLY-BLUE (MIL-PRF-83483 Revision E) is a military specification for anti-seize compounds that are used in aerospace, aviation, and other industrial and advanced manufacturing industries. ARMITE-MOLY is manufactured with precision. The Future Moves With Armite™ www.armite.com #IndustrialLubricants #Maritime #Marne #Armite #MRO #OEM #Military #Aerospace #Aviation #HeavyEquipment #Mining #OilGaS #Automotive

North Korea has successfully test-fired a new solid-fuel hypersonic missile, the Hwasongpho-16B, with a warhead that can glide at hypersonic speed. Leader Kim Jong Un was present for the test, which was reported in the country's ruling Workers' Party newspaper, Rodong Sinmun. The missile flew 1,000 kilometers in irregular trajectories and accurately hit the waters of the Sea of Japan. The country is expediting efforts to develop a hypersonic missile, which is difficult to detect or intercept. The US, Japan, and South Korea are seen as targets for keeping in check. #AsiaRisk #GeopoliticalConflictandDisputes #Japan Follow us for daily updates on risk and operations in Asia! https://lnkd.in/gf6-c6rn

Russian Oreshnik Ballistic Missile: How Putin is Scaring Europe and the US — The New York Times “Putin is extolling the missile as an example of Russian technological prowess, developed by a domestic military industry reportedly unhindered by Western economic sanctions. The ‘Oreshnik’ is also capable of carrying nuclear warheads. However, it remains unclear what type of explosives, if any, the missile delivered to Ukrainian territory,” the article states. The Pentagon claims that the “Oreshnik” is a modification of the Russian intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) RS-26 “Rubezh,” which has been under testing since 2011. The missile’s name may reference its submunitions, which resemble clusters of hazelnuts, according to Timothy Wright, an expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. “This system has been in development for some time,” said Jeffrey Lewis, a nonproliferation expert at the Middlebury Institute for International Studies. According to Wright, there are physical differences between the Oreshnik and Rubezh missile systems. Debris from the impact site indicates that the Oreshnik is approximately 92 cm in circumference, while the Rubezh measures 1.83 m. “This could suggest that the Oreshnik is designed for shorter ranges compared to the Rubezh. As an ICBM, the Rubezh can reach targets anywhere on Earth, while the Oreshnik appears to have a range of about 5,488 km. This range, however, allows it to strike most of Europe,” the report states. Although the Oreshnik is classified as an ICBM, Nick Brown, an analyst at Janes, a British defense intelligence firm, noted it is the longest-range weapon ever used in a European conflict. Based on previous tests, experts believe the Rubezh can carry up to four warheads. When it struck Dnipro, the Oreshnik reportedly carried six warheads, each comprising six submunitions. Wright observed that submunitions on long-range ballistic missiles are “very unusual.” However, he added, many missiles rely on existing technology. “You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time you create a new missile,” he explained.

#China / #Missile / #Pacific - China test-fires missile into ‘high seas’ of Pacific - from Voice of America: China test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile with a dummy warhead into “the high seas of the Pacific Ocean,” the country’s Ministry of National Defense reported Wednesday. “The missile fell into expected sea areas,” the ministry stated in a news release posted to its website. “This test launch is a routine arrangement in our annual training plan. It is in line with international law and international practice and is not directed against any country or target.” China "informed the countries concerned in advance," according to a separate Xinhua news agency report, which did not specify the missile’s path or where it landed in the Pacific. The launch "effectively tested the performance of weapons and equipment and the training level of the troops, and achieved the expected goal," Xinhua reported. In 1980, China launched an ICBM into the South Pacific, the Associated Press reported, noting that a map published in Chinese newspapers at the time showed the target area as roughly a circle in the center of a ring formed by the Solomon Islands, Nauru, the Gilbert Islands, Tuvalu, Samoa, Fiji and the New Hebrides. An analyst told Agence France-Presse that China has typically conducted such tests in its own airspace. "This is extremely unusual and likely the first time in decades that we've seen a test like this," Ankit Panda, Stanton Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said. The test "likely speaks to China’s ongoing nuclear modernization manifesting in new requirements for testing," he added. Taiwan's defense ministry said on Wednesday it had detected 23 Chinese military aircraft operating around Taiwan, and also recently detected "intensive" Chinese missile firing and other drills. Taiwan has dispatched its own air and naval forces to keep watch, the ministry said. https://lnkd.in/ec8gPHi9

The U.S. is facing a critical shortage of missile engines, which poses significant risks to military readiness and national security amid escalating global tensions. The demand for rocket engines has surged dramatically, increasing from 6,000 to 14,000 units per year—a staggering 233% rise. This surge is driven by ongoing conflicts, particularly the Russo-Ukrainian War, where advanced systems like the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) have proven their effectiveness. As the U.S. and its allies stockpile weapons for potential future conflicts, the current production capabilities of the defense industry are falling short, raising serious concerns about military preparedness in an increasingly volatile world. The GMLRS, coupled with the M142 HIMARS launch system, has gained notoriety for its precision and impact on the battlefield. Notably, the U.S. has supplied 39 HIMARS trucks to Ukraine, enabling them to target Russian positions with remarkable accuracy. This effectiveness has led to a global surge in orders from NATO countries—including Poland, Romania, and the Baltic states—as well as from allies in the Asia-Pacific region like Taiwan, which has doubled its HIMARS order in anticipation of potential threats from China. The challenges in missile engine production can be traced back to historical cycles of boom and bust within the defense sector. Manufacturers, including Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, typically optimize their operations to minimize costs, often at the expense of maintaining excess production capacity. Recent collaborations aim to alleviate this shortage, but the path forward is fraught with urgency. With geopolitical tensions rising, countries around the globe are increasing their defense budgets simultaneously, creating a perfect storm of demand for missile systems. The implications of this missile engine shortage extend beyond immediate military concerns; they highlight a pressing need for the U.S. defense industry to innovate and adapt. Ensuring a steady and reliable supply of missile engines is critical not only for current military operations but also for long-term strategic planning. The ability to produce GMLRS rockets and other advanced munitions efficiently will significantly influence the defense strategies of the U.S. and its allies in the face of emerging threats. In summary, the missile engine shortage is a wake-up call for the defense sector. It underscores the need for a proactive approach to production capabilities and strategic partnerships to ensure that military forces remain equipped and ready for whatever challenges lie ahead. Please select 💡 if you thought this post made a great point, offered a new idea, or shared helpful insights or advice. #MissileEngines #USMilitary #DefenseIndustry #GlobalSecurity #HIMARS #GMLRS #MilitaryReadiness #ProductionChallenges #NationalDefense #AmmunitionSupply #GeopoliticalTensions #DefenseCollaboration #InnovationInDefense #StrategicPlanning