Moog and Niron Magnetics Advance Rare-Earth-Free Motors for U.S. Defense

Highlights

• Moog and Niron Magnetics will showcase iron-nitride permanent-magnet motor technology at AUSA 2026 for military actuators including land vehicles and guided munitions.
• Niron's iron-nitride technology replaces NdPr and high-temperature rare-earth magnets with abundant iron and nitrogen, addressing an estimated 30–40% of current NdFeB applications.
• Defense qualification timelines that once spanned 10–15 years are now targeting roughly 24 months due to supply-chain pressure on rare-earth materials.
• Niron is already manufacturing magnets at its Minneapolis pilot facility and shipping to customers, signaling a shift from materials development to system-level testing.
• The strategy attacks China's rare-earth advantage at the chokepoint by eliminating the need for rare earths in selected applications rather than competing in mining or processing.