Why the Pentagon just dropped $450M on tungsten mining

The Pentagon is investing $450 million in The Elmet Group to reinforce a domestic tungsten supply chain before a 2027 rule restricts defense use of material mined, refined or processed in China, Russia, Iran or North Korea. Planned spending includes facility upgrades in Maine, Michigan and Ohio, restarting Nevada mining and expanding refining and trading capacity. Tungsten supports more than 100 defense programs, including Patriot, Javelin, Aegis, Trident II, THAAD and submarines, so the financing targets both strategic dependence and a potential production bottleneck. The goal is a secure, vertically integrated American source.