US Department of Defense spending on critical minerals for military use has risen sharply over the past decade. Grants totaled an estimated 621 million dollars between 2015 and 2025, with most of the increase occurring from 2021 onward. Indigenous communities have raised concerns over consultation and environmental impacts at project sites.
Data from the USAspending database shows the Pentagon awarded 24 grants worth nearly 550 million dollars from 2021 to 2025. This compares with 31.3 million dollars for three contracts in the prior five-year period. Lithium projects received the largest share at 124.6 million dollars, followed by neodymium and boron at 94 million dollars.
Seventy-four percent of the funding supported projects inside the United States. One example is the Graphite Creek graphite mine in western Alaska, which received 37.3 million dollars in 2023 and holds FAST-41 status for expedited permitting. Another is the Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada, awarded 11.8 million dollars in 2024.
Affected Indigenous communities say they have received limited information and have not been properly consulted. Adelaine Ahmasuk of the Siqnasuagmuit community stated that the project could affect hunting areas and sacred sites in the Kigluaik Mountains. Graphite One, the company developing Graphite Creek, said it has held more than 75 meetings with local stakeholders since 2014.
A 2025 White House statement indicated plans to add more mining projects to the FAST-41 portfolio. The Trump administration has issued an executive order to prioritize domestic mineral production for national security reasons.
