Texas Instruments Components in Russian Defense Supply Chains

Disassembled Russian #Kalibr cruise missiles again reveal shocking tech realities Inside: a #TexasInstruments #DSP chip from 1986 — over 35 years old! This ancient #TMS320C25 model suggests Russia struggles to replace sanctioned Western parts. Open-source photos confirm identical components were found in multiple downed #Kalibrs. Heavy dependence on old US tech raises serious questions about Russian missile precision and production resilience. Often these missiles are captured when ECM (Electronic Countermeasures) disrupt this Kalibr’s outdated systems, forcing it to crash. Modern wars increasingly expose technological vulnerabilities — sometimes down to the microchip level. For investigators: always cross-check visible parts, imprint codes, and internal layouts with verified databases before concluding. ----- 🔎 OSINT ANALYSIS: The chip marked DSP TMS320C25GBA FE-8CS3CT8 ©1986 TI is a Digital Signal Processor developed by Texas Instruments in the 1980s. The TMS320C25 was commercially available around 1985-1986 and used for signal processing tasks — notably in early radar, communications, and military applications. Databases like Octopart and TI’s old product archives still reference model, confirming it is real and authentic, if in fact coming out of a Kalibr missile. Using 1980s tech inside a modern missile like the Kalibr 3M14 suggests heavy dependence on outdated or refurbished components — likely due to sanctions and supply chain issues. Regarding verification: Without a full missile serial number or broader forensic evidence, absolute confirmation that these specific boards are only from a Kalibr missile remains hard. However, given previous Ukrainian captures and matching internal layouts, the images seem plausible. The visible modules (e.g., large multi-slot rack systems) match Kalibr’s known avionics and navigation systems from open sources. Previous Kalibr missile debris also showed the same DSP TMS320C25 chips — strengthening the credibility.

A cache of records obtained by Bloomberg reveals new details about this surprisingly resilient supply chain from Silicon Valley to Moscow. They show many of the steps that suppliers to Russia’s military take to acquire components from US chipmaker Texas Instruments Inc., unbeknownst to the Dallas-based company. They also identify Russian distributors handling thousands of shipments bound for the country’s military contractors, including several companies under US sanctions. They help produce drones, glide bombs, precision communication systems and the Iskander missiles that Moscow uses to hammer Ukraine’s cities. The purchasing process is surprisingly simple. Some Russian distributors have integrated information from Texas Instruments’ online shop, TI store, onto their sales platforms, allowing clients to see semiconductor inventory and pricing before they place requests, according to documents seen by Bloomberg and government officials familiar with the matter. From Moscow or St. Petersburg, they can buy TI components with a few mouse clicks, placing orders carried out and delivered through companies outside Russia. #russia #technology #semiconductors #chips #sanctions Russia’s Military Found a Surprisingly Simple Way to Buy US Chips https://lnkd.in/ea8RaYg4

Russia is using a Texas chipmaker company to ship thousands of shipments of chips to help produce drones, glide bombs, precision communication systems and the Iskander missiles that Moscow uses to hammer Ukraine’s cities. Some Russian distributors have integrated information from Texas Instruments’ online shop onto their sales platforms, allowing clients to see semiconductor inventory and pricing before they place requests, according to documents seen by Bloomberg. From Moscow or St. Petersburg, they can buy TI components with a few mouse clicks, placing orders carried out and delivered through companies outside Russia. In one case, a major Russian distributor handled more than 4,000 orders for hundreds of thousands of TI products worth about $6 million this year through August. Nearly $4 million of those orders were ultimately for Russian military companies. The items were routed through Hong Kong or other countries before arriving in Russia. Texas Instruments says any shipments of TI products into Russia are illicit and unauthorized.

US microchip manufacturers Intel Corporation, AMD, and Texas Instruments are accused of failing to prevent their technology from ending up in russian-made drones and missiles that have killed and injured civilians in Ukraine. A series of lawsuits have been filed in Texas state court accusing major American semiconductor companies — Intel, AMD, Texas Instruments and U.S. distributor Mouser Electronics — of failing to prevent their microchips and components from being illegally diverted into russian missiles, drones and other weapons used against Ukrainian civilians. The plaintiffs are dozens of Ukrainian civilians and families who allege that restricted components originally manufactured in the United States ended up in russian and Iranian-made weapons systems, including cruise missiles and UAVs, despite longstanding U.S. export controls and sanctions. According to the legal filings, third-party intermediaries, shell companies and re-export channels are believed to have bypassed export rules, funneling chips into foreign military supply chains. The suits claim companies “ignored warning signs” and lacked adequate oversight to stop these diversions. The litigation argues that while these manufacturers did not intend for their products to be used as weapon components, they failed to enforce effective supply-chain controls — leading to components being found in missiles and drones that injured and killed civilians in Ukraine between 2023 and 2025. This development highlights ongoing challenges in enforcing export restrictions on dual-use technologies, particularly in complex global supply networks where microchips can quickly change hands through multiple countries and distributors. What’s next: The lawsuits seek compensation for the victims and aim to hold industry players accountable for compliance failures — potentially setting precedents for how technology companies manage export risk in conflict zones.

🚨 🇷🇺 How do Russian IT companies supplying chips to the Russian Military still have access to so much Western technology? 🇺🇦 📰 The Kyiv Independent conducted an undercover investigation to confirm that Western-made semiconductors are still reaching Russia, despite export bans. Posing as an employee of Almaz, a subsidiary of the Russian defense contractor Ruselectronics, the publication contacted multiple Russian suppliers to procure banned U.S. chips. 👉 Key findings include: - 10 Russian companies confirmed they could supply Western chips within 1.5 to 3 months. - These companies, including Imotek, AST Components, Elsup, Altex, RTKT, and Vneshtekhsnab, sourced American and European semiconductor brands such as Analog Devices, Texas Instruments, Microchip Technology, Intel, and Infineon. - These components are critical for Russian missiles and drones, fueling the war in Ukraine. - 🇨🇳 & 🇭🇰 China and Hong Kong act as key intermediaries, with companies like Analog Technology, Icscan Electronic, and Berton Electronics exporting restricted chips to Russian suppliers. Source: https://lnkd.in/dPb78ZbN

1 057 foreign components produced by 155 companies were counted in Russian weapons and equipment. Most components are produced by #American companies. This is stated in the document of the sanctions group of the head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak and Michael McFaul. There is evidence that #Western countries continue to help Russia in the war. For example, on June 13, 2023, a Russian X-101 missile hit a five-story building in Kryvyi Rih, killing 11 people, including one child. This rocket carried 53 critical components from other countries. Thus, the authorities analyzed 1 057 foreign components from Russian military equipment, which were produced by 155 companies. The study found that critical components found on the battlefield since April 2022 belong to a wide range of weapons. It is about: - #Iskander-K and #Kalibr missiles; - drones (#Orlan and #Corsair); - armored vehicles; - artillery; - T-72 tanks, - missiles for #Tornado-G anti-aircraft missiles; - #Typhoon-K cars; - helicopters; - radar combat stations. Most components are produced by American companies Analog Devices, Texas Instruments, Microchip Technology Inc., Intel Corporation, AMD, #German Infineon Technologies and #Korean Samsung Electronics. Exports of critical components from the United States to Russia, manufactured by Intel Corporation, exceeded $700 million in 2022 (previously it was $500 million). This product is sold to Russia mainly from China, but a small number of sellers are also located in the European Union, South Korea, #Vietnam and #Turkey. In 2022, such critical foreign components in Russian weapons were estimated at $2.9 billion. Despite the sanctions, their imports have not stopped: after an initial drop in imports in April-May 2022, volumes have recovered to levels comparable to pre-invasion trade. https://lnkd.in/dVr45rBW

According to the Ermak-McFaul sanctions group, the majority (81%) of foreign electronic components Russia uses in missile production come from the United States. Switzerland comes in second with 8%, and Germany and Japan with 3.5% each. Let's talk more specifically: 1. The X-101 cruise missiles contain at least 53 different types of electronic components from foreign companies, including STMicroelectronics (Switzerland), Vicor, XILINX, Intel Corporation, Texas Instruments, ZILOG, Maxim Integrated, and Cypress Semiconductor (all from the United States). 2. Kalibr cruise missiles use at least 45 foreign-made electronic control units. 3. The Iskander system has 47 types of foreign electronic components. At least 48 foreign parts are used in the "Daggers". Andriy Yermak, head of the President's Office, said that the X-101 missile used by Russia to hit a residential building in Kryvyi Rih on June 13 was manufactured in Russia in April 2023. He also noted that about 50 components, primarily microelectronics, of this missile were produced in the free world and delivered to Russia via various routes. The possibility of parallel imports and insufficiently strict bans on trade with Russia need to be constantly and urgently improved. This is a matter of life for millions of Ukrainians. It is a question that must be resolved shortly. #compliance #complianceofficers #ComplianceSpace #sanctionscompliance