China's mineral dominance poses risk to US defense industry

A report by the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), utilizing data from supply chain firm Exiger, highlights the United States' heavy reliance on Chinese strategic minerals for its military industrial base. The analysis identified over 28,000 unique components across 1,400 military systems that depend on four critical minerals: antimony, gallium, germanium, and tungsten.

This dependency creates vulnerabilities in the production, maintenance, and operational readiness of key weapon systems. For instance, the Virginia-class attack submarine requires more than 300 critical components linked to these materials, including 190 pieces containing germanium and 50 containing gallium. Experts note that replacing these vital supply chains is a process that will take years.