FILE PHOTO: A front-end loader is used to reinforce a safety berm inside the open pit at a rare earth facility in California June 29, 2015. REUTERS/David Becker/File Photo
(Reuters) - The U.S. military plans to stockpile rare earth magnets used in Javelin missiles and F-35 fighter jets, according to a government document seen by Reuters, a step that critics say does little to help create a domestic industry to build specialized magnets now made almost exclusively in Asia.
The Pentagon is seeking proposals to cache a rotating six-month supply of neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) magnets, a type of rare earth magnet essential to weapons manufacturing, according to the document, detailing the latest attempt to weaken China’s control over the rare earths sector.
Beijing has been using that prowess for leverage in its trade war with Washington.
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WNU Editor: This does not solve the long term problem of having a stable supply of rare earths that is independent of China.
2 comments:
The US has plenty of rare earth metals. It is a matter of ore quality, cost or starting point.
That and the PRC is getting behind the power curve, when it comes to processing and still being able to live in their country.
Another reason to get along with Russia: biggest land on Earth, I'm sure they have tons of raw earths.. why keep the cold front, cold war remnesances going? Much of the 2016 scandal, as we now know, was hyped. The money Russia spent on influencing the election was smaller than what a gas station spends on ads. Like wtf. Look how much money China spend on ads on CNN. Like Billions. 10,000 fold what Russia spent on the election they spend on CNN.
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