Mystery arms trade: Texas firm’s secret weapon supplies to Ukraine
The weapons that various countries provide as military aid to Ukraine do not always originate from military stockpiles. Some of the equipment is supplied by private arms trading companies. A few years ago, one such company offered dozens of aeroplanes and significant quantities of other weaponry.
The Ukrainian service, Defense Express, came across an unusual company. Registered in Texas, Redfish Trading Company offered a wide selection of heavy military equipment a decade ago. Their inventory included T-72 tanks.
Notably, these were not outdated, decommissioned models but rather 100 vehicles in the T-72B3 variant, which are new and currently utilised by the Russian army. Redfish Trading Company also offered Buk air defence systems.
These were also not surplus equipment but the Buk-MB variant, a new version of the system, modernised and officially sold by the Belarusian NPOOO OKB TSP company.
The aviation part of the offer was equally intriguing. It included Mi-24W and Mi-24D helicopters, 15 Su-25 attack aircraft described as refurbished, as well as factory-new Su-25K and Su-25UBK, which are export versions of this type of aircraft.
Hundreds of tanks and aircraft
The offer was complemented by a list of typical surplus equipment - Bo 105P helicopters, over 100 T-72A tanks, BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, T-55 tanks, and BRDM-2 armoured reconnaissance vehicles.
The Texas company also declared the ability to provide regular deliveries of rocket missiles for the BM-21 Grad system and to supply MiG-29, Su-27, and older Su-17 military aircraft.
The Ukrainian service was unable to confirm whether any part of the arsenal, which could instigate a large-scale armed conflict, was purchased and delivered to a buyer. However, Ukrainians note that traces of Redfish Trading Company's activities have been removed, with only media mentions remaining of the company that offered hundreds of military pieces.
