US faces new pressure to build weapons without China’s rare earth magnets
EXETER, N.H. (AP) — A giant American flag hanging on the wall of a warehouse in New Hampshire hints at the national importance of the elements bound inside the mining waste stored in 1-ton bags. The company uses electrolysis to separate the key…
A small refinery in New Hampshire could play a crucial role in helping the United States reduce its dependence on China for critical minerals required in various military weapons. The Phoenix Tailings refinery is in the process of expanding its capacity, with the Pentagon providing a $500 million loan to facilitate the construction of a new factory. This expansion is expected to take 14 to 18 months.
The urgency of this endeavor is heightened by the ongoing Middle East conflict, which is depleting munitions supplies, as critical minerals are essential components in key U.S. weapons systems like Tomahawk cruise missiles, THAAD interceptors, and F-35 fighter jets. The White House has been urging military contractors to expedite weapons production, while simultaneously imposing stricter regulations that prohibit the sourcing of critical-mineral components from China.
Anthony Balladon, the chief commercial officer and co-founder of the company, acknowledged that replenishing stocks and scaling up production within the required timeframe will be a significant challenge. While the U.S. is working towards building a domestic supply chain for critical minerals free from Chinese control, most new mines are years away from operation. Therefore, extracting some of these rare elements from existing mine waste can help meet the growing demand in the interim.
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
