Vault Strategic Announces Drone-Borne Magnetic Survey Underway At War Bond, Nevada, And Comments On U.S. Move To Restrict Tungsten Exports

Vault Strategic Mining Corp. (KNOX) announced that Pioneer Exploration Consultants Ltd. has deployed a UAV-based airborne magnetic survey at its War Bond Tungsten Project in Nevada. The survey covers approximately 70 line-kilometres with tightly spaced 25-metre flight lines to identify magnetic features and structural trends associated with tungsten-bearing tactite and skarn mineralization.

Data from the survey will be integrated with Phase 1 sampling results and historical records to refine exploration targets and support the preparation of a maiden NI 43-101 technical report. The release also highlighted a U.S. government one-year restriction on tungsten waste and scrap exports, effective late August 2026, designed to retain strategic material domestically.

Historical context notes past production between 1952 and 1953 at grades of approximately 0.3% to 0.45% WO3, with historical assays reaching up to 14.40% WO3. CEO Quinn Field-Dyte emphasized the strategic positioning of War Bond as a potential North American supply source amid growing demand for secure critical mineral supplies.

Vault Strategic Mining Corp. (KNOX) announced the commencement of a drone-mag survey, a step previously disclosed in July 2026. This activity represents an expected, incremental progression within the company’s exploration roadmap rather than a new catalyst. The update aligns with the company’s stated 2026 exploration timeline and includes no new drill results, resource estimates, or financing announcements.

While the U.S. tungsten export restriction constitutes a macro-level policy shift that supports the broader tungsten thesis, it does not immediately alter project economics, funding requirements, or near-term operational milestones. The news provides supportive tailwinds for the tungsten sector but lacks company-specific materiality.

Vault Strategic Mining Corp. (KNOX) is a pre-revenue exploration-stage company focused on acquiring and advancing historical mining assets in North America, with a strategic emphasis on critical and strategic metals. Its flagship asset is the War Bond Tungsten Project in Nevada, a 400-acre claim package that encompasses the historical War Bond, Tactite, and Thursday tungsten mines.

The geological model describes a structurally controlled tungsten-skarn system near diorite-granodiorite intrusive contacts with marble and metasedimentary rocks. Mineralization is associated with scheelite-bearing tactite. Historical data indicates past production occurred in 1952–1953 at grades of ~0.3% to 0.45% WO3. Historical assays include a high-grade sample of 14.40% WO3. All historical data is pre-NI 43-101 and non-compliant, serving only as exploration guidance.

The company employs an option-based acquisition model, prioritizing historical assets with existing infrastructure and data, then applying modern exploration methods to generate drill-ready targets.