How A Risk Consultant Foiled An Extortion Racket
Via Wikimedia Commons.
Underneath the thriving economies and gorgeous vacation spots, Asia can be a pretty horrible corner of the world. This is why businesses who don’t establish contingency plans for an emerging market are just inviting trouble. A level-headed approach is getting a risk consultant aboard to troubleshoot day-to-day headaches. But sometimes, having a trained security specialist at hand is the best way to save a person’s life. Professionals in leadership roles are always juicy targets for shady characters.
For John Walker, a US Air Force veteran and licensed risk consultant, cracking a bizarre case involving a VIP led him a down a strange, strange rabbit hole.
Iran Plans To Build A Deadly Diesel-Electric Submarine
Iran’s navy possess three Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines.
A new class of 3,200 ton attack submarines will soon be assembled in local shipyards for the Islamic Republic’s miniscule navy. But little else was revealed by Iranian state media during a maritime and naval exhibition in Kish this week. The tonnage of the would-be submarines are suspect as they scale twice as heavy as current-generation diesel-electric models in Europe and East Asia. Their alleged dimensions of “87 meters in length and 10 meters in diameter” measure beyond the size of the Soviet era Kilo-class submarines operated by the Iranian navy.
In recent weeks, however, there has been a renewed publicity blitz for Iran’s sea power with official propaganda hailing the arrival of new midget submarines and even an anti-submarine destroyer–all made inside the country.
SDLE Is Pitching Its Drones To The Colombian Army
Via Wikimedia Commons.
One of Spain’s main suppliers for armored vehicle spare parts is now seeking opportunities in Colombia after its presentation at the Colombian Army Infantry School on December 6. During the event, Star Defense Logistics and Engineering (SDLE) exhibited its “capacity to carry out customized product development” and its unmanned intelligence and surveillance aircraft. The latter category belongs to SDLE’s Zarek V2 vertical takeoff and landing UAV that was also featured at the recent EDEX 2018 arms show in Cairo last month.
Aside from its catalog of bespoke drones SDLE does have its own countermeasures against unmanned systems. The Colombian military’s role in anti-narcotics and domestic security makes it a viable customer for lightweight UAVs.
Companies Can Register For Interpolitex 2019 Right Now!
Via Interpolitex.
The largest annual homeland security event in Moscow is now open for all would-be exhibitors. The upcoming Interpolitex 2019 will be held at the spacious Pavilion 75 of the VDNH in the Russian capital from October 22 until 25. The event organizers Bizon are eager to welcome participants from China and India along with any enterprise looking for fresh opportunities in the Russian Federation. Although Interpolitex does favor Russian companies, adopting foreign technology is seen as expedient for both state agencies and private enterprises.
The organizers of Interpolitex 2019, which is the event’s 23rd installment, are offering discounts and other incentives for exhibitors who register early. 21st Century Asian Arms Race (21AAR) is a media partner for Interpolitex 2019.
Armored Cars: Streit Group Scorpion AFV
Via Streit Group.
The Scorpion AFV belongs to a new class of mine-resistant trucks that eschew a bulky layout for greater mobility. It was unveiled by Streit Group in 2015 and put on display at the Eurosatory arms show in France the following year. Its intended market are armies and security forces who need a tough off-road truck with superb protective qualities. The Scorpion is a clean sheet design that emphasizes armor and speed. Its current iteration offers at least STANAG II ballistic resistance but an upcoming variant will have STANAG IV armoring strong enough to resist heavy machine gun bullets and roadside bombs.
Nobody Seems Impressed With The Norinco VN17
Via Chinese state media.
Just like its previous installment, the Zhuhai Air Show 2018 had a special event for China’s military “land systems.” These are meant to advertise tracked and wheeled vehicles produced by state-owned companies for export abroad. Norinco’s offerings overshadowed the rest of the participating exhibitors with three main battle tanks and several armed troop carriers unleashed on an obstacle course for maximum visibility. One eye catching contender in the lot was the VN17 tracked infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) that looked like it can take on its betters from around the world.
But long after Zhuhai Air Show 2018, and two years since its first public appearance, the VN17 hasn’t inspired much enthusiasm…anywhere. How come?
Iran Is Looking To Buy Weapons From Pakistan
Via Wikimedia Commons.
Pakistan’s largest arms show attracted a fair amount of media coverage but one particular event did stand out amid the hustle and bustle surrounding IDEAS 2018. It looks like the Iranian delegation at the Karachi Expo Centre between November 27 until 30 weren’t just there to ogle the products on display but talk business. Iranian state media revealed a certain Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari met with top brass from Pakistan’s military about possible “cooperation.”
Now “cooperation” implies a whole range of activities in the global arms trade. While it’s true there’s remarkable overlap between the indigenous military industries of Iran and Pakistan, the two countries aren’t natural allies, and have much to disagree about.
North Korea Wants To Open Up Its Economy
View of the North Korean capital. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Vietnam’s state-owned media revealed an important, if uncontroversial, summit took place at the beginning of the month involving high-ranking officials from Hanoi and Pyongyang. The VIPs in attendance were Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho, whose travel schedule has been packed for much of 2018, and the substance of their meeting suggests the latter is cultivating trade partners. This new effort comes as the historic Singapore Summit in June is still believed to have set North Korea on the path of “denuclearization.”
The opaque language used in Vietnam’s official press releases barely concealed the summit’s agenda. It turns out PM Nguyen “discussed with the guest the Doi Moi policy of Vietnam and measures to implement the policy under the leadership of the Communist Party over the past 30 years.”
China And Pakistan Are Collaborating On A Truck Howitzer
Via Youtube.
During the recent IDEAS 2018 arms show in Karachi the state-owned manufacturer Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) displayed its entire product catalog. A genuine surprise was the appearance of an unnamed 6×6 truck mounting a large caliber artillery piece. Upon closer inspection the vehicle was identified as the “SH15,” a new truck howitzer model from China’s Norinco that was also put on display at this year’s Zhuhai Air Show in Guangdong. The SH15 is the world’s newest self-propelled artillery piece and seems to have found a predictable customer–China’s favorite client state.
Although truck howitzers–often large trailers modified to support an artillery piece–have become fashionable in the global arms industry, militaries all over the world haven’t embraced the trend yet. Indeed, some of the largest ground forces in Asia–India, Iran, North/South Korea, Russia, and Turkey–aren’t keen on adopting truck howitzers.
Spanish Drones Will Be Showing Up At EDEX 2018
Via Wikimedia Commons.
The Spanish manufacturer Star Defense Logistics & Engineering (SDLE) joins their national pavilion for next week’s Egypt Defense Expo or EDEX 2018 that’s taking place in Cairo from December 3 until 5. The three-day event brings together 350 exhibitors from around the world to secure lucrative tenders with North Africa’s regional power. SDLE is making a determined effort to grow its business in the greater Middle East. Given its experience in maintaining NATO vehicles it recently won a contract with the Jordanian military.
At EDEX 2018, however, SDLE are showing off their own products including lightweight surveillance drones, an anti-drone jammer, and a modular armored vehicle.
Armored Cars: Remdiesel K4386 Typhoon-VDV
The Typhoon-VDV is a recent spinoff from the family of wheeled APCs developed by truck manufacturer Kamaz and Remdiesel. In 2015 Russia’s airborne branch wanted a bespoke armored car that can be airdropped from an Il-76 transport. Their solution was to take the heavier Kamaz 53949 Typhoon, shave off some of its weight, and install a remote weapon station on the roof. The Resulting Typhoon-VDV was first shown to the public in 2016 and it’s still undergoing trials. A Typhoon-VDV is meant for transporting a squad of paratroopers and provide covering fire to help them secure an objective.
If the BMD-4M serves as the VDV’s “light tank,” with the BTR-MD Rakushka an armored personnel carrier, the Typhoon-VDV is the equivalent of an infantry fighting vehicle.
What Expertise Do Risk Consultants Have?
Via Wikimedia Commons.
Business environments can be treacherous when best practices and the rule of law are uncommon. This is why the private sectors of Southeast Asian countries have niches occupied by thriving risk consultancies. What are risk consultancies? More than appendages to prestigious accounting firms and places where business owners go looking for guards, risk consultancies help their clients navigate around disasters waiting to happen.
Of course, it’s exciting to do business in Asia. But it can also be a headache and, in the absolutely worst circumstances imaginable, a total nightmare. Here are a few tasks where legit risk consultant excel at.
