February 6, 2025 – TheNewswire - VANCOUVER, BC – Musk Metals Corp. (“Musk Metals” or the “Company”) (CSE: MUSK) (OTC: EMSKF) (FSE: 1I30) is pleased to provide additional information as NATO released list of 12 defence-critical raw materials, including germanium, last December 2024. According to Statista, a german research company, combined defense expenditures of NATO countries in 2024 were US $1,474 trillion, up 13.8% from 2023.  

In 2024, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (“SIPRI”) estimated global military expenditure at US $2.443 trillion, the highest level ever recorded by SIPRI. SIPRI further found that the combined revenues of the top 100 largest defense companies globally totaled US $632 billion in 2023 up 4.2% from 2022, with the five largest companies by revenue being Lockheed Martin, RTX, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and General Dynamics.  These five companies are all US corporations with combined arms sales of US $198.3 billion.

Germanium is essential to modern warfare systems and has many growing applications for military uses in the following markets:

Military drones and uncrewed aircrafts

Germanium has the ability to block both visible and ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths of light, but allow the transmission of Infrared light.  This makes germanium extremely useful in applications that deal with Infrared optics, such as thermal imaging and Infrared detection for drones, uncrewed aircrafts and unmanned boats, tanks and armoured vehicles, helicopters, and naval systems as well as night vision goggles.

According to Market.us research firm, the Global Military Drone Market size is expected to be worth around US $48.4 billion by 2033, from US $14.9 billion in 2023, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 12.5% during the forecast period from 2024 to 2033. Over 35% of global military drone market is supplied by US companies.

Military drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are an essential component in modern defense strategies worldwide due to their versatility in surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeted strike operations. These drones provide armed forces with a significant tactical advantage by performing missions in high-risk environments without endangering personnel. Military drones are now widely and routinely used for intelligence gathering, target acquisition, and combat operations.

Military satellites

In solar cells that power military satellites, germanium offers superior performance when compared to the older generation of solar arrays as these become smaller and easier to launch. Germanium-based solar cells convert up to twice as much light into electricity as their silicon-based counterparts. Germanium is also much more resistant to damaging cosmic radiations when compared to silicon, extending solar cells technical lifetime to 20 years.

The research firm Precedence Research has estimated that the global military satellite market size accounted for US $15.1 billion in 2024, will grow to US $16.2 billion in 2025 and is projected to surpass around US $29.6 billion by 2034, representing a compound annual growth rate of 6.95% between 2024 and 2034. The North America military satellite market size is worth around US $6.1 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7.09% to US $12.1 billion during the forecast period.

Military semiconductor chips

In the semiconductor industry, germanium is one of the most vital metals to develop the next generation of advanced chips. Germanium is increasingly being selected over standard silicon for high-performance chips used in defense applications that improve device performance, speed, and energy efficiency. The development of sophisticated military systems, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), advanced communication systems, and high-precision radar systems, is driving the demand for advanced semiconductors in the military sector.

The global military semiconductor market size was valued at approximately US $5.2 billion in 2023, and it is projected to reach around US $8.7 billion by 2032, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 5.6% during the forecast period with the US largely supplying the market.  

The primary growth factor propelling this market is the increasing emphasis on enhancing the technological capabilities of defense systems, driven by rising geopolitical tensions and the need for advanced military infrastructure according to the research firm DataIntelo.  

About the Lac du Km 35 Germanium Property

The Property is approximately 40 km east of the mining town of Chibougamau in the Nord-du-Québec region of Québec and has excellent access through Highway 167 and a main lumber road that transects the whole property from the west to the east as well as a network of secondary roads.  

Discovered by government geologists in 1998 and never followed up, the Laganière germanium showing consists of a peridotite outcrop within the Laganière gneissic Complex that comprises amphibolites and hornblende and biotite gneisses. The Laganière showing returned a value of 0.02% (186 ppm), representing 1/5 of a kilogram in contained germanium, and is currently the highest germanium value ever reported from an outcrop in Québec.  

The Laganière germanium showing is located besides the main lumber road and immediately adjacent to the south to a cluster of electromagnetic anomalies of roughly 400 m x 400 m in size that were never tested. The Laganière germanium showing is also 450 m northeast of the main regional Faribault Shear Zone, 800 m from the southern margin of the Duberger felsic pluton and approximately 2 km to the west of the Grenville Front. Apart from regional mapping and sampling of government geologists, the Laganière germanium showing area remains vastly underexplored and overlooked, and constitutes the prime focus for Musk.

The Company cautions that the geological information provided in this news release is of historical nature and mineralization may not be representative of mineralization on the Lac du Km 35 Property. Benoit Moreau, P.Eng., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, and vice president of exploration for Musk Metals, is responsible for the technical information contained in this news release.

About Germanium

Germanium is a hard, greyish and brittle metalloid. Germanium has many growing applications in electronics and solar, in fiber optics, and Infrared optics for both civil and military uses. Germanium is also in the list of critical metals in Canada, the United States and the European Union.

Since December 3, 2024, China, the largest producer of refined germanium, has banned germanium exports to the United States. Germanium is not an openly traded commodity and recent spot prices have germanium over US$4,000 per kilogram.

 

About Musk Metals Corp.

Musk Metals is a publicly traded exploration company focused on the development of highly prospective, discovery-stage mineral properties located in some of Canada’s top mining jurisdictions. The Company’s properties are in the “Chapais-Chibougamau”, “Abitibi”, “Upper Laurentides”, “Temiscamingue”, and “James Bay” regions of Quebec, and the “Golden Triangle” district of British Columbia.

Make sure to follow the Company on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as well as subscribe for Company updates at http://www.muskmetals.ca/

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

___Mario Pezzente___
        CEO & Director

For more information on Musk Metals, please contact:

Phone: 604-717-6605
Corporate e-mail: info@muskmetals.ca
Website: www.muskmetals.ca
Corporate Address: 2905 – 700 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, V7Y 1C6

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact that address activities, events, or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the intended use of proceeds of the Offering and other matters regarding the business plans of the Company. The forward-looking statements reflect management’s current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements including that the Company may use the proceeds of the Offering for purposes other than those disclosed in this news release; adverse market conditions; and other factors beyond the control of the Company. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, accordingly, undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to their inherent uncertainty. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include general market conditions and other factors beyond the control of the Company. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

The Canadian Securities Exchange (operated by CNSX Markets Inc.) has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents or accuracy of this press release.