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Mine it in America — Securing the US military supply chain – By Sen. Tommy Tuberville (Federal Times) / Dec 7, 2022
The pandemic revealed America’s concerning dependence on foreign adversaries for items we used to — and should —produce in the U.S.
Our nation’s food supply depends on imported fertilizer foreign adversaries such as Russia. America’s health care system is reliant upon pharmaceuticals, protective equipment, and technology produced overseas. Our energy supply chains are dependent on imported aluminum and other metals.
And — most importantly — our military could not function without imported tungsten, cobalt, and other rare earth elements.
For example, every F-35 strike fighter built for our armed forces contains 920 pounds of rare earth materials — the majority of which we import from China. The Department of Defense needs rare earth magnets to build computer screens and hard drives for aircraft and ships. Those same cobalt-based elements are used for stealth technology, F-22 tail fins, laser targeting systems, missile guidance and control motors. The list could go on and on.
