Rare Earth News

U.S. defense aircraft uses Chinese rare earth, America soon to increase supply

A recent study conducted by the U.S. Defense Department found that 36 weapons that are utilized by the military use high-powered magnets that are produced from rare-earth elements that are, for the most part, imported from China. But American rare-earths are expected to supply an "adequate" amount by 2015, the Washington Examiner reports.

According to the news source, the study was ordered by Congress to determine which weapons relied on the neodymium iron-boron magnets, and found that many important and regularly-used devices implemented the rare-earth element technology. Included in the report were the Air Force's F-35 and F-22 jets, the Army's Bradley armored vehicle, the Navy's DDG-51 Destroyer and various different missiles.

Weapons created for the military by Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Co., General Dynamics Corp. and Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. use 175 metric tons of neodymium iron-boron magnets every year, and by 2015, the Defense Department predicts the U.S. may possess all elements needed for production of the magnets, the media outlet stated.

In the wake of high demand in North America, rare earth mining has progressed dramatically in parts of Canada, including British Columbia and Quebec, where large deposits of rare earths have been found.