Strategic Minerals: National Security and Defense Applications
Strategic minerals are the raw materials that underpin modern defense capabilities, aerospace technology, and national security infrastructure. Access to these resources has shaped geopolitics for over a century and remains one of the most pressing policy challenges of the 21st century.
From titanium alloys in fighter jet airframes to rare earth elements in precision-guided munitions, strategic minerals are indispensable to the military systems that democratic nations depend on for deterrence and defense. This section examines what makes a mineral strategic, how defense and aerospace industries rely on specific materials, and what governments are doing to secure their supply chains through stockpiling, permitting reform, and international partnerships.
Explore Strategic Minerals Topics
Dive into the key dimensions of strategic mineral policy, from foundational definitions to the real-world defense dependencies and government programs that shape the global supply landscape.
What Are Strategic Minerals?
Understand the definition of strategic minerals, how they differ from critical minerals, and the historical frameworks that guide national stockpiling and policy decisions.
Defense & Aerospace Dependencies
Discover how modern military systems rely on specific minerals, from titanium in airframes and cobalt in jet engines to rare earths in guidance systems and tungsten in armor-piercing ammunition.
Stockpiles & Strategic Reserves
Learn about national defense stockpiles maintained by the United States, China, and the European Union, including their history, current inventories, and evolving acquisition strategies.
Strategic Projects & Permitting
Explore the major mining and processing projects advancing strategic mineral supply, along with the permitting challenges, government support programs, and policy reforms driving them forward.
Why Strategic Minerals Matter Now More Than Ever
The global competition for strategic minerals has intensified dramatically over the past decade. As geopolitical tensions have risen between major powers, the vulnerability of concentrated supply chains has moved from an abstract policy concern to an urgent national security priority. China's dominance in rare earth processing, the Democratic Republic of the Congo's outsized role in cobalt production, and Russia's position as a key supplier of palladium and titanium sponge all represent single points of failure that could disrupt defense production at scale.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine underscored how quickly supply disruptions can cascade through global manufacturing networks. Defense contractors reported significant delays tied to mineral and metal shortages, while the semiconductor industry confronted bottlenecks in specialty gases and ultrapure materials. These events accelerated policy action across the United States, European Union, Australia, Canada, and Japan, all of which have updated their strategic mineral frameworks since 2020.
Looking ahead, the dual demands of military modernization and the energy transition are placing unprecedented pressure on the same set of minerals. Lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earths are needed both for next-generation weapons platforms and for the electric vehicles, wind turbines, and grid storage systems that define the clean energy economy. Navigating this competition for finite resources will require coordinated strategies that span mining, processing, recycling, and diplomatic engagement.