China’s Chokehold Obscure Mineral Threatens U.S. Military

“China’s strict controls on the export of heat-resistant magnets made with rare earth minerals have exposed a major vulnerability in the U.S. military supply chain,” the New York Times reports.

“Without these magnets, the United States and its allies in Europe will struggle to refill recently depleted inventories of military hardware.”

“For more than a decade, the United States has failed to develop an alternative to China’s supply of a specific kind of rare earth crucial for the manufacture of magnets for missiles, fighter jets, smart bombs and a lot of other military gear.”