Critical Minerals in Aerospace and Defense
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Aerospace and defense systems depend on critical minerals for engine alloys, munitions, sensors, power electronics and magnets. The US Geological Survey reports that about 80% of rhenium goes into superalloys for high-temperature turbine engine components and that 51% of the cobalt consumed in the United States is used in superalloys, mainly for aircraft gas turbine engines. From 1 January 2027 the Department of Defense may no longer buy covered magnets, tungsten and tantalum that were mined, refined or separated in China, Russia, Iran or North Korea.
80%
of rhenium end use is superalloys for high-temperature turbine engine components
51%
of US cobalt consumption goes into superalloys, mainly for aircraft gas turbine engines
99%
of primary low-purity gallium came from China in 2025; US defense uses include integrated circuits
1 Jan 2027
date from which US defense contractors cannot supply covered materials mined, refined or separated in China, Russia, Iran or North Korea
Source: 10 U.S.C. 4872
Which critical minerals do aerospace and defense systems need?
The table pairs each mineral with its stated aerospace or defense use and the latest supply fact from the USGS. The USGS does not quantify defense demand for most of them, so the table shows use and supply, not tonnage per platform.
| Mineral | Stated use | Supply fact | Policy status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhenium | Superalloys for turbine engine components; improves strength above 1,000 degrees Celsius | US net import reliance 75% in 2025; metal pellet price averaged $2,600 per kilogram, up 90% on 2024 (USGS) | Added to the US critical minerals list in November 2025 |
| Hafnium | Leading use is superalloys | Unwrought hafnium imports in 2021-24 came from Germany 54%, China 21%, France 12% and the United Kingdom 8%; average price $3,800 per kilogram in 2025 (USGS) | On the EU critical list |
| Cobalt | Superalloys for aircraft gas turbine engines (51% of US use) | Congo (Kinshasa) mined an estimated 73% of world cobalt; US net import reliance 79% (USGS) | DRC export quotas; a 2025 US solicitation for 7,480 t of cobalt was cancelled |
| Tungsten | Hard alloys, including armor-piercing projectile components (the USGS lists depleted uranium alloys and hardened steel as substitutes) | China mined 67,000 t of 85,000 t in 2025; Rotterdam concentrate prices rose from $266 to $551 per tonne unit (USGS) | Covered material under 10 U.S.C. 4872; Chinese export controls since February 2025 |
| Gallium | Integrated circuits for defense applications; optoelectronics in aerospace | China produced 99% of primary low-purity gallium; US net import reliance 100% (USGS) | Covered under 10 U.S.C. 4872 from 18 December 2027 |
| Germanium | Infrared optics for military systems; substrates for satellite solar cells | US imports of germanium metal fell 67% in 2025 after China's December 2024 ban (USGS) | Covered under 10 U.S.C. 4872 from 18 December 2027 |
| Magnet rare earths | Neodymium-iron-boron and samarium-cobalt permanent magnets | China mined 270,000 t of 390,000 t of rare earth oxide in 2025 (USGS) | Covered from 1 January 2027 for mined, refined or separated stages |
Policy sources: 10 U.S.C. 4872 and Regulation (EU) 2024/1252, which names defense and aerospace applications as a criterion for strategic raw materials.
How many rare earths does a fighter jet use?
The widely quoted figure is about 417 kilograms (920 pounds) of rare earth materials per F-35, but its basis is weak. Adamas Intelligence traces it to a single sentence in a 2013 Congressional Research Service report, which in turn drew on a 2012 Department of Defense study that was given to Congress and never published. No methodology or bill of materials has been released. Treat it as a rough estimate. Adamas points to a September 2024 Government Accountability Office report (GAO-24-107176) as a more data-driven source on defense use of rare earths; it was not retrieved for this page.
What are the US procurement rules?
Under 10 U.S.C. 4872 the Department of Defense may not buy covered material melted or produced in North Korea, China, Russia or Iran. From 1 January 2027 the rule also reaches material that was mined, refined or separated in those countries. The covered materials are samarium-cobalt and neodymium-iron-boron magnets, tungsten metal powder and heavy alloy, tantalum and molybdenum, with gallium and germanium added from 18 December 2027. Exceptions cover contingency operations, some commercial off-the-shelf items, recycled material and a written national security waiver.
The government is also buying. The Department of Defense bought $400 million of preferred stock in MP Materials in July 2025 and agreed a ten-year $110 per kilogram price floor for its neodymium-praseodymium products, and the Defense Logistics Agency issued requests for scandium, tungsten, graphite, samarium, dysprosium and terbium. See offtake agreements and stockpiles.
Frequently asked questions
Which critical minerals are used in jet engines?
Jet engines use rhenium, cobalt and hafnium in nickel-base superalloys. The USGS says about 80% of rhenium goes into superalloys for turbine engine components, 51% of US cobalt is used in superalloys mainly for aircraft gas turbine engines, and the leading use of hafnium is superalloys.
How much rare earth does an F-35 contain?
An F-35 is widely said to contain about 417 kilograms of rare earth materials, but the figure comes from a 2012 Department of Defense study whose method was never published. It should be treated as a rough estimate, not a verified bill of materials.
What is the 2027 US ban on Chinese magnets in defense contracts?
The 2027 rule is part of 10 U.S.C. 4872. From 1 January 2027 the Department of Defense may not buy samarium-cobalt or neodymium-iron-boron magnets, tungsten or tantalum that were mined, refined or separated in China, Russia, Iran or North Korea, subject to limited exceptions and waivers.
Why is germanium important for defense?
Germanium is important for defense because it is used in infrared optics and in substrates for satellite solar cells. The USGS reports that China is the leading producer and that US imports of germanium metal fell 67% in 2025 after China banned exports to the United States in December 2024.
Sources
Read on October 12, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Rhenium, zirconium and hafnium, cobalt, tungsten, gallium, germanium, rare earths
- 10 U.S.C. 4872: Acquisition of sensitive materials from non-allied foreign nations
- Adamas Intelligence: How much rare earths does an F-35 really contain?
- MP Materials: Department of Defense partnership (10 July 2025)
- Covington & Burling: Federal push for critical minerals stockpiling (4 February 2026)
