Enhancing National Security

Copper is in high demand, including for defense purposes. The war in Ukraine is sharply increasing demand, using millions of copper-containing shells. “Every day, the war consumes many tonnes of copper – at the end of the war there will be a new mine in Ukraine with all that copper scrap,” a producer... Read More

The Department of Defense (DOD) has announced a $20 million award to South32 through the Defense Production Act Investment Program, aimed to support production of battery-grade manganese in Arizona. The award goes to the Hermosa project, a polymetallic development comprised of a zinc-lead-silver sulfide... Read More

The Doe Run Company has announced a $7 million award from the Department of Defense to construct and commission a plant for cobalt and nickel products. The facility is planned to be constructed in Missouri. Cobalt and nickel are essential to national security, and sourcing materials within the U.S. is... Read More

Cobalt is necessary in the defense industry for its use in munitions and high-temperature aerospace alloys, as well as high-capacity batteries. It’s important to source cobalt here in the U.S. to secure our supply and ensure it is mined with the highest standards in mind. Over 80 percent of all cobalt... Read More

Minerals are the building blocks behind nearly every industry, and it’s crucial we mine domestically for the resources we need, particularly for our defense industry. That’s why the U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Perpetua Resources $24.8 million under Title III of the Defense Production Act and... Read More

Rare earths are a hot topic, and for good reason: they have numerous, critical uses, including in aerospace and defense applications. Fortunately, one of the World’s top 10 rare earths projects is in the U.S. Mining Intelligence put American Rare Earths’ Halleck Creek project as number five on its top... Read More

There are many metals and minerals needed for our national defense, and one of them is nickel. Nickel can be used in steel, and this has been used for armor plating in tanks and anti-aircraft firearms. In addition, nickel is used in military batteries for propulsion and storage. So while the push for... Read More

In the first nine months of 2021, global consumption of gold in electronics increased by about 13 percent. Gold is essential in electronics – and ideal for small components – due to its high electrical conductivity and its resistance to tarnishing. On average, a computer contains 0.2 grams of gold. And... Read More

The U.S. military needs to know its supplies are reliably sourced and available when needed. That’s why the Defense Logistics Agency at the U.S. Department of Defense has awarded two grants to Perpetua Resources for the study of domestic production of antimony trisulfide. Antimony is an essential... Read More

The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a Department of Defense office that promotes cooperation and understanding between Reserve Component Service members and their civilian employers. Employers can participate in the Statement of Support Program to show and maintain their support of... Read More

Antimony is a critical component of national defense preparedness, and we have a supply ready to be mined in the U.S.. Antimony is necessary to produce everything from armor-piercing bullets and explosives to nuclear weapons and night vision goggles. That’s why H.R. 7900, the National Defense Authorization... Read More

On December 17, it’s the mission of Wreaths Across America to remember and honor U.S. veterans by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in cemeteries across the U.S., at sea and abroad. By taking time during the holiday season, we can best show our appreciation for the veterans from the Revolutionary... Read More

Rare earth minerals or elements, a group of 17 different metals, are critical to defense, and can be found in lasers, precision-guided weapons, fuel cells, magnets for motors and other devices. That’s why the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) created the Environmental Microbes as a BioEngineering... Read More

The U.S. Department of Energy released goals outlining the importance of domestic supply chains for minerals and metals like lithium. In the news for its use in electric vehicles, lithium is also crucial in a defense capacity, and has been for a long time. Lithium batteries are found in nearly every... Read More

The Pogo gold deposit in Alaska has developed over millions of years, but the mine there today is owned and operated by Northern Star Resources Limited. It became sole owner in 2018, and gold ore is currently mined at a rate of around 3,300 short tons per day. Processing occurs in Pogo as well, with... Read More

Copper is a vital input for our national defense. It’s used in naval vessels, Coast Guard ships and Air Force aircrafts. It’s a tough yet malleable metal, and its widespread use is a testament to its value. In order to properly support our troops, we need copper supply here in the U.S. Fortunately, there... Read More

Minerals and metals are necessary components in much of the technology used for national defense. Securing the supply chains for those components has been recognized as a vulnerability by the U.S. military, and concerns around the issue were heightened by the pandemic. Many of the minerals needed for... Read More

Rare earth elements are frequently in the news, with little surprise. These minerals can be found in everything from smartphones to missile guidance systems. In fact, the U.S. has identified 35 metals and minerals crucial to the defense industrial base, including gallium (found in computer chips), praseodymium... Read More

The COVID-19 crisis has brought the importance of securing our domestic supply chains to the forefront. Our dependence on other countries to supply a wide variety of materials we need at home is no longer an option. Fortunately, there are companies working to strengthen America’s domestic supply chains. In... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The COVID-19 pandemic has increased American voter concerns about the security of our domestic supply chain, and about voters’ own household bills, according to polling conducted by Morning Consult for the National Mining Association (NMA). “Whether providing the raw materials for... Read More

The COVID-19 crisis has exposed the dangers to our economic and national security of relying too heavily on global supply chains. The United States is 100 percent dependent on foreign sources for 17 mineral commodities and 50 percent or more import dependent for another 29, including ones essential... Read More

On May 17, 1943, the men and women of the Bradley Mining Company in Stibnite, Idaho received an unexpected telegram. It came from Dwight D. Eisenhower, then the Commander and Chief of the Allied Forces in Africa. Following allied victory in North Africa, General Eisenhower wrote to express his appreciation... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the president prepares to deliver his third State of the Union address, U.S. voters want to see government action on a number of issues key to the mining industry – from reducing the nation’s alarming mineral import reliance by encouraging domestic mining to leading in developing... Read More

The U.S. military has no margin for error, which is why our troops depend on the best materials when in training or out on mission. Vanadium is a metal that is both extremely strong and lightweight, making it ideal for military applications. By creating higher strength steel, vanadium allows for greater... Read More

Aviation Week & Space Technology awarded the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology (SD Mines), the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base and Moog Inc. Laureate Award for pioneering the use of cold spray technology in aircraft repair and maintenance. The cold spray is now being used... Read More

History was made in 1969 when Apollo 11 landed the first two people on the moon. Now, almost 50 years later, the Trump administration is ushering in a new chapter in America’s storied space history with the proposed launch of Space Force, a new military service branch centered around space operations. Space... Read More

Veterans are a sought-after group in the workforce, bringing valuable skills and experience from their military service. Coeur Mining recognizes the sacrifices that our veterans have made and works to provide them an opportunity to continue their career in a company that cares about each and every employee. Through... Read More

Greg Gregory, president of Materion Natural Resources, is at the front lines of the nation’s focus on critical resource security. Mr. Gregory recently testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources during a hearing on the U.S. Department of Interior’s Final List of Critical... Read More

Since its inception, the United States has sustained strong national defense and security measures through continuous innovation, and today, innovation is more important than ever. Every year, the Department of Defense (DOD) uses 750,000 tons of minerals in production of future technologies to protect... Read More

For most Americans, national security isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about mining. But national security – specifically supply chain security and energy security – is front and center for the nation’s mining industry. Supply chain security refers to ensuring we have the domestic... Read More

Freeport-McMoRan Inc. is a leading international mining company with headquarters in Phoenix, Ariz. Freeport-McMoRan operates six mines across Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado, producing significant amounts molybdenum – an important metal for the national defense industry. Molybdenum is a refractory... Read More

Phil Baker, Hecla Mining’s president and CEO, and Hal Quinn, NMA’s president and CEO, recently spoke to a class at the National Defense University (NDU) about issues facing the minerals extraction, fabrication and trade industry. Seminar participants were primarily senior U.S. government officials... Read More

Luminant is a competitive power generation business that provides reliable, affordable electricity to Texas consumers. With roots that stretch back more than 130 years, the company is the largest power generator in the state with nearly 10,300 megawatts of generation capacity coming from nuclear and... Read More

By now you’ve probably heard about the recent contract awarded to Caterpillar with the U.S. Department of Defense. The $663 million contract for construction equipment through the Defense Logistics Agency gives customers such as the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and U.S. federal civilian agencies... Read More

Prosthetics for veterans have improved substantially thanks to minerals found right here in the U.S. The creation of lightweight prosthetic limbs that function more efficiently, and innovations in robotic technology that enable brain signals to control prosthetic devices, would not be possible without... Read More

Innovation is essential for sustaining strong national defense and security. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) uses 750,000 tons of minerals each year in technologies that protect the very troops that protect our nation. For example, silver’s exceptional strength helps protect our troops as an... Read More

With Memorial Day quickly approaching, the minerals mining industry is proud to serve those who serve us. Minerals are among the most important components that make up the technologies protecting our troops and safeguarding our nation. In fact, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) uses 750,000 tons... Read More

Phil Baker, Hecla Mining President and CEO, recently spoke to a class at the National Defense University (NDU) about issues facing the minerals extraction, fabrication and trade industry. Seminar participants were primarily senior U.S. government officials and military officers who have been charged... Read More

Recently, Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) and Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) introduced the “National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2017” in the Senate and House, respectively. In doing so, they highlighted the important role that minerals play in our national security. “Duplicative regulations,... Read More

Companies in the defense industry are constantly reviewing and researching what materials work best for the technology that helps protect the U.S. Lockheed Martin, one of the largest defense technology companies in the world, has introduced nanocopper in soldering circuit boards due to its ability... Read More

Innovation is essential for sustaining strong national defense and security. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) uses 750,000 tons of minerals each year in technologies that protect the troops that protect our nation. For example, silver’s exceptional strength helps protect our troops as an essential... Read More

Defense operations require increasingly sophisticated intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, and they need those systems to be mounted on agile land, sea, air and space platforms, operating faster and more efficiently than ever before. Consider satellite systems, precision-guided... Read More