New research project for resilient supply chains and more commodity recycling.
The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory (DEVCOM ARL), a U.S. Army research facility, has collaborated with other institutes and industry partners to identify supply chain risks for rare earths and other critical minerals needed for military technologies.
The Materials Recovery Technologies for Defense Supply Resiliency Initiative project is funded with $7.6 million from Congress and may receive up to $25 million from the Department of Defense. Goals are to ensure availability of critical materials when needed, reduce dependence on foreign manufacturers and promote recycling of critical materials. That’s according to a news release from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), which has a five-year cooperative agreement with the military installation under this effort. Seven other U.S. and international universities and several companies are also involved in the research project.
As we reported, the U.S. armed forces also want to financially support domestic mining projects to reduce dependence on Chinese imports, such as in neighboring Canada.
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