SAGA Metals Highlights Radar Titanium Opportunity as North America Confronts Defense Driven Titanium Supply Chain Risks Best-to-date titanium–vanadium–iron drill results at Trapper Zone underscore Radar’s large-scale oxide system within the 160 km² Dykes River intrusive complex near tidewater in Labrador VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SAGA Metals Corp. (“SAGA” or the “Company”) (TSXV: SAGA) (OTCQB: SAGMF) (FSE: 20H), a North American exploration company focused on critical mineral discovery, is pleased to highlight a strengthened titanium thesis for its Radar Ti-V-Fe Project near the port of Cartwright, Labrador, following the Company’s best drill results to date from the Trapper Zone Phase 1 Mineral Resource Estimate (“MRE”) drill program. SAGA’s latest assays from the first two of eight completed MRE program drill holes at Trapper Zone demonstrate long, cumulative intervals of oxide mineralization with significant assay results of titanium dioxide (TiO₂), vanadium pentoxide (V₂O₅) and iron oxides (Fe₂O₃). This mineral assemblage is consistent with vanadiferous titanomagnetite (“VTM”) and ilmenite mineralization that could potentially underpin multiple downstream titanium value chains and support an emerging strategic narrative: a need for resilient North American titanium supply. SAGA believes Radar’s titanium-bearing oxide system is increasingly topical as Western governments and manufacturers focus on secure, defense-aligned supply chains for titanium metal inputs. In a January 2, 2026, MINING.com article citing Project Blue’s report “Metals and the Security of Nations”, titanium is characterized as a critical mineral for defense and aerospace, with supply-chain risk concentrated in titanium metal pathways (including aerospace-grade sponge capacity and certification) rather than in pigment markets. The vast majority – over 90% globally of mined titanium is processed into the pigment – a looming supply chain gap UK-headquartered market intelligence company Project Blue outlines in its report. “Titanium is essentially a defence metal – it can be up to 20% or more of the markets for total titanium consumption that goes into defence. An F 15 can be up to 40% in weight of titanium. There’s some serious volume going in these jet planes,” Project Blue Founder and Director, Dr. Nils Backeberg told MINING.com in an interview. SAGA Metals Releases Best-to-Date Drill Results at the Radar Project Confirming Robust Titanium–Vanadium–Iron Oxide Mineralization at Trapper Zone — Assay Highlights: Hole R-0008: 269.36 m @ 6.57% TiO₂, 0.244% V₂O₅, 36.21% Fe₂O₃ (full hole)Hole R-0009: 296.47 m @ 7.46% TiO₂, 0.250% V₂O₅, 39.75% Fe₂O₃ (full hole)High-grade intervals within the broader intercepts, including 2 m @ 13.30% TiO₂ (core sample 1800528) Michael Garagan, CGO & Director of SAGA Metals, stated: “The results from the first two holes at the Trapper Zone are an outstanding success, and represent the best intercepts drilled on the Radar property to date.” What’s Different About the Radar Ti-V-Fe Project: A District-Scale Oxide System Enclosing the Entire Dykes River Intrusive Complex Potentially Forming a New North American Titanium Narrative SAGA’s Radar Project is not a single isolated target. The Radar Property spans 24,175 hectares and hosts the entire Dykes River intrusive complex (~160 km²)—a property-scale position that is unique among Western explorers. Geological mapping, geophysics and trenching confirm oxide layering across more than 20 km of strike length and mineralization open for expansion. Drilling to date (4,250 m total) has confirmed a large mineralized layered mafic intrusion hosting VTM and ilmenite concentrations with strong titanium and vanadium grades. Drilling and geophysics validate a continuous 16+ km oxide layering trend stretching from the Hawkeye Zone to the Trapper Zone, coinciding with a strong arcuate regional magnetic-high anomaly. Titanium Market Context: Defense and Aerospace Supply Chains Are Driving Urgency This exploration progress is occurring against a strengthening macro backdrop for titanium as a defense and aerospace critical mineral, where supply-chain resilience—not just demand growth—has become a primary strategic driver. Titanium is deemed a critical metal by the U.S., EU and Canada and is essential for defense and aerospace applications due to its strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance. At the same time, the titanium market is structurally bifurcated: TiO₂ pigment dominates mined titanium flows, while defense and aerospace rely on titanium metal supply chains that are sensitive to geopolitics and processing constraints. Project Blue (as reported by MINING.com) notes that over 90% of mined titanium is processed into pigment, and that near-term vulnerability centers on aerospace-grade titanium sponge capacity and certification, rather than mineral availability alone. The same report highlights titanium supply-chain concentration risks,