https://rareearthexchanges.com/news/the-shift-to-unmanned-military-assets-a-rare-earth-demand-surge/
I posted the above article mainly to discuss how the military's demand for NdPr will grow massively over the next 10 years.
Here is a summarised table:
As you can see, there will be somewhere between a 3-5x increase in NdPr just for the change in military assets. And when you also think that there could be a 186x increase for general use robots....the US Military really neeeds to be planning ahead to secure their rare earths including NdPr.
What do others think?
What will Europe do? They have to increase their military spending by a massive amount.....where will they source their NdPr?
I posted the above article mainly to discuss how the military's demand for NdPr will grow massively over the next 10 years.
Here is a summarised table:
The Shift to Unmanned Military Assets – NdPr Demand Surge:
| Category | Legacy Platform | Unmanned Equivalent | NdPr Usage (Est.) | Demand Multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air | F-35 Lightning II (~417 kg REEs) | - MQ-9 Reaper Drone (10–15 kg NdPr each) - XQ-58 Valkyrie - Swarm Drones (2–5 kg each, x100s units) | Moderate per unit, high cumulative | 3–5x increase |
| Land | M1 Abrams Tank (<10 kg NdPr) | - Ripsaw M5, Marker UGV (50–100 kg each) - Combat Robots (5–20 kg each) - Drone Carriers | High NdPr per unit × higher volume | 5–7x increase |
| Sea | Arleigh Burke Destroyer (~2,500 kg REEs) | - LUSV, XLUUV (250–500 kg per unit) - Small underwater drones (10–50 kg each) | Smaller per unit, but higher fleet numbers | 2–4x increase |
As you can see, there will be somewhere between a 3-5x increase in NdPr just for the change in military assets. And when you also think that there could be a 186x increase for general use robots....the US Military really neeeds to be planning ahead to secure their rare earths including NdPr.
Conclusions:
- Defense strategy is shifting from large, crewed assets to swarms of unmanned systems.
- This transition is dramatically increasing total NdPr demand across all domains.
- Air, land, and sea platforms are all moving toward electric propulsion, actuators, and sensors powered by NdFeB magnets.
- With the 2027 supply chain mandate, Western nations must scale up NdPr production and magnet manufacturing outside China.
What do others think?
What will Europe do? They have to increase their military spending by a massive amount.....where will they source their NdPr?
