Chemring is based in the UK and has locations in the US, Norway, UAE and Australia.
Its business segments are Countermeasures, Sensors, and Energetics. Energetics includes components for missiles, bombs and torpedoes, and Chemring Nobel’s facility in Norway that produces explosives and propellants and is a “qualified supplier” for many missile programmes.
Tear/CS Gas
In 2011 it was revealed that tear gas used by Egyptian police against Tahir Square demonstrators was manufactured by Chemring. Protesters in Hong Kong were attacked with Chemring tear gas grenades in September 2014, and CS grenades that were used in the June 2019 crackdown on protesters in Hong Kong looked similar to those produced by Chemring.
Chemring also obtained a licence for the unlimited export of equipment including “CS hand grenades”, “tear gas/irritant ammunition” and “tear gas/riot control agents” to the US in July 2015. It is highly likely that Chemring obtained a follow-on licence in June 2018.
In November 2018, Chemring announced that it was exiting the “commoditised Energetics business”, which presumably included tear/CS gas ammunition. In June 2019 the company reported that it had sold Chemring Defence UK, located in Derby, to PWD Group and in August 2019 said “Chemring Group no longer manufactures, sells or distributes any CS gas or related products” (private communication).
