The U.S. Army is taking a bold step to secure critical minerals for defense and military purposes by developing small-scale refineries. This move comes as the U.S. and its Western allies aim to reduce their reliance on China for these essential resources. Mark Mezger, a munitions procurement adviser for the U.S. Army, emphasizes the need for domestic production and control over critical minerals, stating, 'We need to come up with a way to make our own (critical minerals) domestically that we can actually monitor and control within our borders.'
The Army is collaborating with the Idaho National Laboratory and gold mining company Perpetua Resources to process antimony. In September, the U.S. Army's Joint Program Executive Office Armaments and Ammunition (JPEO A&A) joined forces with Perpetua Resources Inc. to launch the Stibnite Gold Project in central Idaho. This project aims to revitalize an abandoned mine in Stibnite, focusing on gold and antimony sulfide extraction. The U.S. previously sourced antimony sulfide from foreign countries until 2021, when that supply ended.
The Stibnite project boasts the largest identified antimony reserve in the U.S., estimated at 148 million lbs., and is one of the largest outside foreign control. Maj. Gen. John T. Reim, Joint Program Executive Officer Armaments & Ammunition and Picatinny Arsenal Commanding General, highlights the project's alignment with the Army's 'Ground-to-Round' strategy, ensuring a secure supply of critical materials for modernization and fortification. The Trump Administration is also actively involved, providing funding by acquiring minority stakes in North American rare earth and lithium companies and projects.
The global rare earth supply chain is highly concentrated across all stages of the value chain, according to analysts at the International Energy Agency (IEA). This concentration raises concerns about supply risks. As the U.S. and its allies strive for independence from Chinese supply chains, the development of small refineries and the focus on domestic critical mineral production become crucial steps towards a more secure and self-sufficient defense and military infrastructure.
