The US military plans to develop a fleet of small-scale refineries to produce critical minerals used in manufacturing bullets, armor and other weaponry, marking a strategic shift toward establishing domestic sources for materials Chinese miners have long controlled.
The US Army is developing the previously unreported initiative alongside the Idaho National Laboratory and antimony and gold miner Perpetua Resources, with the Army targeting antimony as the first mineral for refining.
The Army does not plan to produce large volumes of minerals for private use. However, the approach provides steady access to these strategic materials while avoiding dependence on large commercial refineries that typically process bulk commodities such as copper and iron ore.
Antimony trisulfide is a critical component for manufacturing primers, the explosive caps at a bullet’s base. The United States has not produced this version of antimony since the 1960s.
Mark Mezger, a US Army munitions adviser, emphasized the strategic importance of the initiative.
“Without antimony trisulfide, you can’t make primers. And without primers, you can’t make bullets. And an army without bullets is just a parade,” Mezger said.
The Idaho National Laboratory will test the facility for six months, the laboratory will also verify the facility is cleaner and more efficient. If the facility meets standards, the laboratory will operate it for the Army and Perpetua, which JPMorgan Chase and billionaire investor John Paulson back.
According to officials, the military could establish similar mineral refineries at bases or on federal land. Washington aims to develop refineries for other minerals including tungsten, rare earths and boron if the initial project succeeds.
The compact facilities will process ore through crushing and chemical treatments for each mineral type.
In 2021, the Army learned China had halted trisulfide exports, forcing officials to deplete the military’s year-long reserve while scrambling to secure supplies from India and other nations.
Mezger said the refinery plan emerged from recognizing that a domestic option was crucial.
Jon Cherry, Perpetua’s CEO, said the plant’s development should help “pave the way for sustained American mineral independence and resilience.”
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