A North Korean KN-23/24 missile, which Ukrainian forces shot down in September in the Poltava region, contains microelectronics produced by companies from the United States, the United Kingdom, and the EU. This was revealed in a report by the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO), presented on October 17.
Most of the identified components were manufactured by US companies, including Analog Devices Inc. and Broadcom Inc. Experts also discovered products from Swiss company Traco Power, Dutch company NXP, and British company XP Power.
In response to Bloomberg's inquiries, Analog Devices, Broadcom, and NXP stated that they had not sold any components to North Korea and are currently working with authorities to improve compliance mechanisms and prevent the illegal diversion of their products. Broadcom also noted that their components are frequently counterfeited. XP Power and Traco Power have not yet responded to requests for comment.
“No government agency or public organization can trace supply chains as effectively as manufacturers. They have artificial intelligence systems, can analyze large datasets, and have the ability to track where their machines or microchips end up,” said Agiya Zagrebelska, Policy Director of the Economic Security Council of Ukraine (ESCU).
Solving the problem of unauthorized use of Western technologies requires an effective accountability tool for businesses that fail to track the end users of their products, Agiya Zagrebelska explained during the presentation of NAKO's analytical report on foreign components in North Korean weapons.
The full version of the research and NAKO’s recommendations can be found via this link.
