Highlights

• The Pentagon has requested Defense Industrial Base Consortium members submit proposals by March 20 for U.S.-based mining, processing, or recycling projects targeting 13 strategic minerals essential to semiconductors and weapons systems.
• Selected projects could receive $100 million to over $500 million in development funding to expand domestic production capacity for materials including vanadium, tungsten, germanium, graphite, and four rare earth elements.
• This initiative is part of a broader U.S. strategy to secure critical mineral supply chains, including a proposed $12 billion strategic reserve program and partnerships with over 50 allied nations, as mineral security becomes central to national defense policy.

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The U.S. Department of War (opens in a new tab) (DoW) is stepping up efforts to strengthen domestic supplies of several critical minerals essential to semiconductors, weapons systems, and advanced technologies. According to reporting cited via Reuters (opens in a new tab) and Rare Earth Exchanges™, the Pentagon has asked members of the Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC) (opens in a new tab) to submit proposals for projects capable of mining, processing, or recycling 13 strategic minerals within the United States. The request reflects growing urgency in Washington to reduce dependence on foreign supply chains—particularly for materials vital to defense manufacturing and high-technology industries.

A Call to Industry: Projects Wanted

Recent documentation suggests that the Pentagon has asked DIBC members to submit project proposals by March 20 that could expand U.S. production or processing capacity for targeted minerals. DIBC, which includes more than 1,500 companies, universities, and defense contractors, supports innovation and procurement across the U.S. defense supply chain.

The DoW is seeking detailed cost estimates for potential projects, including mines, processing plants, or recycling facilities. According to the document, selected projects could receive development funding ranging from $100 million to more than $500 million.

The 13 Minerals on the List

The Pentagon’s request targets the following materials:

• Vanadium
• Nickel
• Bismuth
• Tungsten
• Zirconium
• Hafnium
• Samarium
• Gadolinium
• Ytterbium
• Yttrium
• Germanium
• Arsenic
• Graphite

The United States currently relies heavily on imports for many of these materials, making them potential vulnerabilities across defense, aerospace, semiconductor, and energy supply chains.

Rare Earths and Defense Concerns

Four minerals on the list—samarium, gadolinium, ytterbium, and yttrium—are rare earth elements widely used in advanced defense systems. Yttrium, for example, plays a crucial role in thermal barrier coatings used to protect jet engines and turbine components from extreme temperatures. Without these coatings, modern turbine engines cannot operate safely at high performance levels.

Supply risks for minerals such as germanium, graphite, and yttrium have already drawn concern across U.S. aerospace, semiconductor, and advanced manufacturing sectors.

Part of a Broader Critical Minerals Strategy

The Pentagon’s request fits into a wider U.S. push to secure strategic mineral supply chains. Recent initiatives include:

• A proposed $12 billion strategic mineral reserve program backed by the U.S. Export-Import Bank
• A critical minerals trade partnership involving more than 50 allied nations
• Federal investments in companies such as MP Materials, Lithium Americas, and Trilogy Metals

Separately, the Defense Logistics Agency (opens in a new tab) (DLA) is evaluating additional stockpile acquisitions for materials including lithium, chromium, and tellurium.

Why This Matters

The effort underscores how the global competition for critical minerals—once largely a commercial issue—has become a central component of national security policy. As advanced weapons, semiconductors, energy systems, and emerging technologies increasingly depend on specialized materials, securing reliable mineral supply chains is becoming as strategically important as securing energy supplies.

The race for upgraded rare earth element and critical mineral supply chains is on in the age of Great Powers Era 2.0.