Latest news with #ConflictArmamentResearch
The Guardian
08-08-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Myanmar military junta using European technology during air attacks, report suggests
Myanmar's military is using advanced European technology to protect its drone fleet as it carries out brutal aerial campaigns, research suggests, prompting calls for sanctions against the junta to be tightened. Myanmar's military, which has been widely condemned for its indiscriminate attacks against civilians, obtained 'anti-jamming' technology made in Europe through a Chinese company, according to a report by Conflict Armament Research (Car). Its researchers documented downed military drones in Kayah state in the country's east which had been fitted with advanced navigation modules that protect the drones from jamming and signal spoofing. It had also seen evidence of similar technology used in Chin state, near the country's western border. There had been efforts to weaponise these unmanned aerial vehicles by fitting release mechanisms under the frame, Car said. Myanmar has been gripped by conflict since the military seized power in a coup in 2021, provoking an armed resistance made up of anti-junta groups and older ethnic armed groups, which have succeeded in taking control of vast areas of the country's borders. Over the past 12 months the junta has invested heavily in drone technology in an attempt to catch up with opposition groups, which have made effective use of such weaponry. Myanmar now ranks third globally for the number of drone events, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project, which tracks conflicts around the world – behind only Ukraine and Russia. Myanmar has been subject to an EU arms embargo in various forms since the early 1990s. Sanctions were widened in 2018 in response to military abuses against minorities, including the Rohingya. Further restrictions were imposed after the 2021 military coup. Campaigners, however, say sanctions are not wide-ranging enough, and that measures are inconsistent across the EU, as enforcement falls to individual member states. Yadanar Maung, spokesperson for Justice For Myanmar, said she was unsurprised by Car's findings. 'This is part of a pattern that has seen exports of communications equipment, spyware, UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] parts, aircraft and the propulsion system for the navy's biggest warship,' she said. 'None of these should have been transferred and, without rigorous enforcement by member states, companies will continue to do business with junta arms brokers with impunity,' Yadanar Maung added. 'The EU also needs to expand its sanctions to effectively block the junta's access to funds, arms and aviation fuel, in coordination with its allies.' Robert Hunter Perkins, Car's head of research, said drone warfare posed a particular challenge for policy makers as it was a rapidly developing field. 'Offerings on the commercial market are far more advanced than a few years ago. It's hard for industry innovations to be in total lockstep with national, and certainly international, controls.' Car's report does not name the manufacturer that produced the anti-jamming technology, or the European country in which it is based. Perkins said the manufacturer had made every effort possible to prevent misuse of its product, which, though sensitive, was not considered either a military or dual-use good and therefore not subject to controls. The manufacturer shipped its products to a vetted distributor, based in China, in March 2023. The distributor then sold the product onwards as part of a much larger shipment, to another China-based company that integrates components into UAVs. In March 2024, the product integrator then sold the goods on to a company based in Ruili, an important trade hub on the border between China and Myanmar. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by the distributor and the product integrator, though Car researchers say the location of the end-user company, based on the border where there had been an escalation in conflict, could have been a red flag. 'What is important to take away from this investigation is how to use the information that investigators like Car collects in conflict zones: capturing these red flags, alerting the manufacturers and trying to prevent future diversions,' Perkins said. Its report said there was a need for sustained monitoring to ensure sanctions were effective.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
North Korea supplied Russia with 9 million shells and 100 ballistic missiles – international report, photos
Russia received up to nine million artillery and rocket munitions from North Korea in 2024, including 122 mm and 152 mm calibres. Source: the first report by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), established by 11 UN member states Quote: "The munitions were then sent via rail from Russian Far East ports to ammunition depots in southwestern Russia, for use by Russian military forces against Ukraine." Routes taken by Russian-flagged vessels delivering arms and related matériel between North Korea and Russia from 1 January 2024 to mid-December 2024. Photo: An MSMT participating state Details: In 2024 alone, North Korea transferred at least 100 ballistic missiles to Russia, which were later launched against Ukrainian territory with the aim of destroying civilian infrastructure and intimidating the population, including in cities such as Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia. North Korea also supplied Russia with: self-propelled artillery systems of 170 mm calibre produced in Korea for long-range use; 240 mm multiple rocket launcher systems; over 200 pieces of equipment, including self-propelled guns, MLRS units and vehicles for reloading both types of weapons. North Korea also supplied Russia with anti-tank missiles. Quote: "Upon examining the North Korean weapons recovered from the battlefield, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence concluded that the weapons North Korea supplied to Russia included Bulsae-4 anti-tank missiles and rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) anti-tank rockets." North Korean 170 mm self-propelled gun transported through Russia. Photo: An MSMT participating state Details: Media reports suggest that the accuracy of North Korean ballistic missiles is improving due to the data the country receives from the use of these missiles by Russian forces against Ukraine. The previous analysis conducted in January–February 2024 showed that the remains of a ballistic missile documented in Kharkiv were of North Korean origin. This conclusion was based on distinctive features such as "unique jet vane actuators, the bolt pattern around the igniter and the presence of Korean (Hangul) characters on the barometers". During a subsequent investigation in August 2024, Conflict Armament Research (CAR), a UK-based research organisation, documented the remains of four more missiles retrieved in Bila Tserkva, Vitrova Balka and Rozhivka (Ukraine), further confirming the use of North Korean-made missiles on the battlefield. Front end of the rocket motor of a DPRK missile (left) and the rocket motor documented by CAR in Ukraine on 11 January 2024 (right). Photo: Conflict Armament Research Quote: "One of these missiles contained components marked with the figure '113', possibly referring to the year 2024 in the Juche calendar (official dating system of North Korea), indicating its production in 2024." Numerical mark stamped on the jet vane actuator per CAR analysis. Photo: Conflict Armament Research Details: All missiles examined by CAR were identified as Hwasong-11A or Hwasong-11B. The findings indicate that newly manufactured North Korean ballistic missiles were used against Ukraine, with a minimal interval between their production, transfer and deployment. Moreover, CAR's detection of recently manufactured components that were not of North Korean origin indicates that the country continues to attempt to bypass UN sanctions by acquiring foreign parts through third-party suppliers. According to information from one of the MSMT member states, Russia supplied North Korea with air defence systems. Since November 2024, it is believed that Russia has provided North Korea with short-range air defence systems and electronic warfare systems. Russia also transferred to North Korea at least one Pantsir-class combat vehicle. This is a mobile air defence system designed to target aircraft and helicopters, cruise missiles, precision-guided munitions and unmanned aerial vehicles. Background: On 20 May, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) registered a draft resolution proposing to recognise the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as an aggressor state due to its military cooperation with Russia in the war against Ukraine. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yemen Online
13-03-2025
- Science
- Yemen Online
Yemen : Houthi Drones Could Become Stealthier and Fly Farther
Recent reports indicate that Houthi forces in Yemen are making significant advancements in their drone technology. According to Conflict Armament Research (CAR), the Houthis are experimenting with hydrogen fuel cells to power their uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs). This innovation could enable the drones to carry larger payloads and travel greater distances than conventional power sources allow. The use of hydrogen fuel cells represents a major escalation in Houthi capabilities, potentially making their drones stealthier and more efficient. CAR investigators documented a sample of cargo seized by the Yemeni National Resistance Forces (NRF) that included hydrogen cylinders mislabelled as oxygen cylinders, intended for use in UAV fuel cell systems. These advancements in drone technology pose a significant threat to regional security and highlight the need for increased vigilance and countermeasures by international forces.
New York Times
13-03-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Houthi Drones Could Become Stealthier and Fly Farther
For more than a year, Houthi rebels in Yemen attacked merchant vessels and warships in the Red Sea with missiles, drones and speedboats loaded with explosives, disrupting global trade through one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. Claiming solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, the Houthis have hit vessels as far as 100 miles off the Yemeni coast, prompting retaliatory airstrikes by U.S. and Israeli warplanes. The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, largely discontinued their attacks when Israel and Hamas reached a cease-fire in January. But evidence examined by weapons researchers shows that the rebels may have acquired new technology that makes drones more difficult to detect and helps them fly even farther. 'It could potentially give the Houthis an element of surprise against U.S. or Israeli military forces if they were to restart any of these conflicts,' said Taimur Khan, an investigator with Conflict Armament Research, a British group that identifies and tracks weapons and ammunition used in wars around the world. Mr. Khan traveled to southwestern Yemen in November to document parts of a hydrogen fuel cell system that government forces found in a small boat offshore, alongside other weapons known to be used by Houthi fighters. Hydrogen fuel cells produce electricity through a reaction of oxygen in the air and compressed hydrogen across a series of charged metal plates. They release water vapor but little heat or noise. Houthi drones powered by traditional methods like gas-burning engines or lithium batteries can fly about 750 miles. But hydrogen fuel cells would enable them to fly three times that distance and make it far more difficult for acoustic and infrared sensors to detect them. Conflict Armament Research detailed its findings in a report released on Thursday. The group examined shipping documents showing that the fuel cell components were made by companies in China that advertise their use for drones, and compressed hydrogen tanks mislabeled as oxygen cylinders. It is not yet possible to know if the items came directly from China, Mr. Khan said. But a new source for weapons components could give the Houthis a strategic boost. Houthi weapons shipments intercepted at sea have typically been made in, or sent from, Iran, Mr. Khan said. 'If the Houthis acquired these items on their own, the cargo we saw would suggest a new supply chain from commercial markets that increases their self-sufficiency, instead of just relying on their backers in the region,' he added. The boat that Mr. Khan inspected was intercepted at sea in August by Yemeni forces aligned with the country's internationally recognized government. The items found aboard included guided artillery rockets, small engines manufactured in Europe that can power cruise missiles, radars and ship-tracking devices, as well as hundreds of commercial drones in addition to the hydrogen fuel cell parts. Hydrogen-based electrical power with fuel cells is decades old, and was used by NASA during the Apollo missions. Its use to power military drones emerged in the late 2000s during the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the years since, hydrogen power became more common for military drones. Its ability to extend their range made it attractive for commercial uses, like inspecting pipelines, power lines and offshore wind farms, according to Andy Kelly of Intelligent Energy, a British company that makes hydrogen fuel cells used in drones that several U.S. companies now sell to the Defense Department. 'The longer they can stay in the air, the more data they can collect,' Mr. Kelly said. 'They are key for long-range reconnaissance.' The hydrogen systems can store three times more energy than lithium batteries of an equal weight, he said, allowing the drone operator to carry more weight over a longer distance. Fuel cells also produce few vibrations to jostle surveillance cameras and other sensors on a surveillance drone, Mr. Kelly said, adding that they can be reused many more times than the rechargeable batteries commonly used to propel drones. Conflict Armament Research declined to name the Chinese companies that made the components recovered near Yemen, a policy that ensures its researchers can work privately with firms to determine how their products ended up in the hands of various entities.
