The currently disputed Woody Island (http://dtn.fm/nIoh5) (Yongxing Dao), which is part of the Parcel archipelago that sits southeast of the southernmost point of China (the sizable island province of Hainan), occupies a commanding position in the South China Sea. Northeast of Vietnam (who also claims ownership), southwest of the Republic of China (Taiwan, which also claims ownership), and west of Manila in the Philippines, Woody Island’s strategic value to China’s expanding naval buffer zone cannot be overstated. Thus, the recently DoD-noted deployment (http://dtn.fm/sE8W4) (Feb 18) by China on Woody Island of what appear to be two batteries of eight Hongqi-9 (HQ-9) (http://dtn.fm/jCe8D) long-range (125 miles), high-altitude, surface-to-air missile systems (SAMs) is seen by many as provocative saber-rattling from an expansionist China.
At the recent U.S.-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit on Feb 15 and 16, the summit’s joint statement made no bones about needing “mutual respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, equality and political independence of all nations” in the region, as well as the need for a “shared commitment to peaceful resolution of disputes.” ASEAN, which includes the Philippines and Vietnam, is also ground zero for TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) implementation, and Vietnam has already signed off on the TPP alongside Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore.
The HQ-9 SAM batteries, which are analogous to the MIM-104 Patriot SAMs recently deployed in South Korea (http://dtn.fm/8QyjF) (Feb 13) as a response to North Korea’s nuclear test and long-range rocket launch, are just the latest of a collection of moves in recent years by China in its bid to hold sway over the South China Sea. Given that China established Sansha city local government office on Woody Island back in 2012 in order to act as a central command location for administering the entire South China Sea area, and that last November Chinese J-11 fighter jets were spotted landing on the newly-enlarged runway, this latest move is seen as the next logical step in a larger campaign by some analysts. With over 3,000 acres of construction atop reefs in the area over the preceding two years, China has been steadily pushing its naval line out beyond the coast, for geopolitical, as well as economic, ends. This move has been met by close scrutiny from the Pentagon, with defense official reports indicating that, “the U.S. continues to call on claimants to halt land reclamation, construction, and militarization of features in the South China Sea.”
The day has now arrived when the inherent strategic downside of U.S. exposure to its crippling dependence on Chinese batteries has come to the fore, particularly as it regards our military’s readiness. Amid a concerted effort by the DoD to push total consumption of renewables up to 3,000 megawatts by 2025, with around $4 billion in yearly outlays toward this end, and defense contractors like Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) lining up to run the ball, battery sourcing dependence on China has become a real concern. Raytheon’s VP of Technology told Forbes late last year in an interview (http://dtn.fm/bcW9j) that the key objectives of the DoD transition were for smooth and manageable service, without interruptions when the weather is disagreeable, and with an overall emphasis on off-grid, microgrid, as well as energy storage elements.
This is where a company like Oakridge Global Energy Solutions (OTCQB: OGES) really shines. As a domestic developer and producer of energy storage solutions based in Florida’s Space Coast region, OGES is an ideally-situated provider. Furthermore, the company is squarely focused on ending America’s dependence on foreign batteries by providing class-leading “Made in the USA” batteries, whose production utilizes the company’s proprietary lithium chemistry, as well as its manufacturing techniques. With product for the first half of 2016 already pre-sold under firm and indicative commitments, as well as projected 2016 sales in the neighborhood of $140 million, Oakridge Global Energy Solutions’ four-year sales projection of $1 billion annually seems well within reason.
Little wonder, what with recent news like the company’s custom battery design for Man-Portable Tactical Autonomous Systems (MANTAS) developer, Maritime Tactical Systems, Inc. (MARTAC), having seen highly successful field trials for a major defense contractor across a variety of MARTAC‘s high speed maritime vessels. President and CEO of MARTAC, Bruce Hanson, enthusiastically bragged in a recent story about how ecstatic his company was with the custom-designed OGES units for their MANTAS platforms, noting in particular how OGES took MARTAC’s spec outline to the next level, delivering systems that went above and beyond the call of duty in terms of energy density, efficiency, reliability, and longevity.
This same American-made know-how and military-grade engineering stands behind every Oakridge Global Energy Solutions product. Every battery system lives up to the same exacting standards, whether it’s the company’s Pro Series of 40Ah, 60Ah, 100Ah, and 160Ah lithium-ion phosphate (LiFePO4) units for electric golf carts and NEVs (neighborhood electric vehicles), or its Freedom Series of clean, silent, and always reliable, living space power storage units.
Since 1986, Oakridge Global Energy Solutions has been providing custom-tailored, high performance energy storage solutions right here in the United States, and it has steadfastly developed a considerable global market presence abroad as well during that time. As the threat of dependence on Chinese batteries looms ever larger, the company is becoming more and more of a national security importance due to its ability to act as a vital part of the nation’s strategic infrastructural footprint in an age of electric military vehicles, and localized microgrid storage.
For more information, visit www.oakridgeglobalenergy.com
