ROCKING OUT

U.S. Army to Build Rare Earth Minerals Plant to Make Military Hardware, Says Report

It would be first time the U.S. military has dabbled in commercial-scale rare earths since the Manhattan Project.

The U.S. Army will make substantial investments in a commercial processing facility for rare earth minerals to make military weapons and electronics, according to a secret government document obtained by Reuters. The Army division in charge of the venture put out a call for bids to private mining companies last month. The urgent move comes after China, which refines most of the world’s rare earth minerals, threatened to stop exporting the niche market item in the ongoing trade war. President Donald Trump earlier demanded that the military update its supply chain for the minerals, often referred to simply as rare earths. “The U.S. rare earths industry needs big help to compete against the Chinese,” Jim McKenzie, chief executive officer of UCore Rare Metals, told Reuters. “It’s not just about the money, but also the optics of broad support from Washington.” Such an investment would be the first time the U.S. military has dabbled in commercial-scale rare earths since the Manhattan Project, which led to the production of the first atomic bomb during World War II.