- The Department of Defense announced an additional $18.4 million funding to Ucore Rare Metals.
- The decision to support Ucore represents a critical step in reclaiming the United States’ control over materials essential to national safety.
- The money will help install the first commercial RapidSX separation line at Ucore’s Strategic Metals Complex.
“Every day of delay is a day an aircraft can’t fly.” This statement makes sense and is obviously a widely recognized truth among the U.S. military. Those charged with providing security and protection for the United States place a high priority on ensuring that no key components of essential aircraft are delayed. Most recently, that attention has been focused on parts made of metals refined almost entirely in China, such as the dysprosium inside a missile’s steering fins. Now the U.S. Department of Defense (“DoD”) is betting that a start-up-scale plant in Alexandria, Louisiana, can keep those aircraft aloft.
In late May, Pentagon officials committed $18.4 million to Ucore Rare Metals (TSX.V: UCU) (OTCQX: UURAF); these funds were in addition to an earlier DoD award, bringing total government support for the company to $22.4 million (https://ibn.fm/OTvbq). The money will help install the first commercial RapidSX separation line at Ucore’s Strategic Metals Complex (“SMC”), an 80,800-square-foot brownfield site on a decommissioned Air Force base. Ucore’s RapidSX technology shrinks a conventional solvent-extraction maze into a modular system that works at least three times faster and occupies a fraction of the floor space (https://ibn.fm/xzmbc).
Anxiety about keeping key aircraft in the air surged this spring after Beijing slapped export licenses on seven critical rare-earth elements, including dysprosium and terbium, in retaliation for U.S. tariffs. The move gave Chinese officials a regulatory dial they can turn up or down with little warning, and it reminded Washington just how fragile its supply chain remains.
A recent Radial Magnet report noted that “in 2025, China significantly escalated its control over the global rare earth magnet supply chain by introducing strict export restrictions. These measures have sent shockwaves through industries that rely heavily on advanced magnets, such as electric vehicles (“EVs”), renewable energy, aerospace, and defense. As the world scrambles to secure alternatives, China’s policies are reshaping the global landscape for magnet sourcing and manufacturing” (https://ibn.fm/Vhoq5).
The recent funding announcement indicates Ucore’s RapidSX technology has struck a chord. “We are most appreciative of the ongoing support we have received from the U.S. Department of Defense,” said Ucore chair and CEO Pat Ryan. “We further reiterate our support for the executive actions executed by the administration and await the results of this ongoing work. Our groundbreaking ceremony at the SMC was a pivotal moment for the company as we move toward our goal of commencing with domestic commercial production of separated and salable rare earth oxides in 2026.”
The Alexandria facility broke ground in May and is scheduled to deliver its first commercial oxides in 2026. Construction deadlines are tight, and the site still needs additional financing — roughly $45 million by company estimates — to reach full 2,000-ton annual capacity. If the plant delivers, future presentations may again mention mixer-settlers and reagent flows. But they will do so against a backdrop of jets in service, missiles on standby and a supply chain that finally runs through Louisiana instead of Liaoning.
For more information about Ucore Rare Metals, visit www.Ucore.com.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to UURAF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/UURAF
