U.S. Army Partners with REalloys to Break Dependence on Chinese Rare Earths

REalloys will build and operate the complex, which is designed to refine dysprosium and terbium—essential elements for high-temperature permanent magnets used in advanced defense systems. By integrating commercial mineral processing directly into military infrastructure, the government aims to secure a reliable domestic pipeline for critical components. Operations are scheduled to commence no later than 2028, creating a bridge for defense contractors who must certify their supply chains as free of Chinese materials by January 1, 2027.

This initiative addresses a long-standing vulnerability in the U.S. defense industrial base. Major contractors like Lockheed Martin, RTX, and Northrop Grumman currently rely on rare earth components for systems ranging from F-35 fighter jets to the B-21 Raider bomber and sophisticated radar networks. REalloys has spent the last two years consolidating feedstock agreements and metallization technology, including a strategic partnership with the Saskatchewan Research Council. With the backing of the Defense Logistics Agency and the integration of supply sources from Greenland, Montana, and Wyoming, the project represents a coordinated effort to reconstruct a domestic industry that had largely migrated overseas over the past several decades.