ARMY AL&T


China controls roughly 90 percent of the rare-earth materials used in high- tech manufacturing, but the United States, Australia and Japan are exploring new sources that could end the Chinese monopoly.


by Russell Parman T


he U.S. military is facing a potential crisis at the very bottom of its supply chain. Rare-earth elements have become the new oil, playing a major role in the technological advancements made in the last 50 years. Everything from GPS navigation capability,


cell phones, fiber optics, computers, automobiles and missiles relies heav- ily on rare-earth elements for development and production. (See Figure 1, Page 90.) For example, according to a 2013 report from the Congressional Research Service, each F-35 Lightning II aircraft requires 920 pounds of rare-earth materials. Rare earths, including yttrium and terbium, are used for laser targeting and weapons in combat vehicles.


Te “rare” in rare-earth elements is a historical misnomer; the persistence of the term reflects unfamiliarity with the elements rather than true scarcity. Te U.S. Geological Survey finds the more abundant rare-earth elements are as common in concentration as other industrial metals such as chromium, nickel, tungsten or lead. Even the two least abundant rare-earth elements (thulium and lutetium) are nearly 200 times more common than gold. Where


“rare” comes into play is that, in contrast with ordinary base and precious metals, rare-earth elements have little tendency to become concentrated in exploitable ore deposits. Consequently, most rare earths come from a small number of sources.


What makes rare-earth elements so unique? Among the many beneficial char- acteristics, rare-earth batteries offer greater energy density, better discharge characteristics and fewer environmental problems upon disposal. High- strength rare-earth magnets have allowed numerous electronic components


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