The White House has already requested a supplemental budget of $200 billion for its war on Iran.
The combined drain is what the Pentagon’s own internal assessments now describe as a “near-term risk” of running out of ammunition.
What is rarely reported is the fact that it will not be restocked without Beijing’s approval.
Forget the Javelins, the Stingers, the GMLRS rockets, and the two million artillery rounds that were used in Ukraine.
China mines and refines 99% of the world’s samarium and placed it under export licensing on April 4, 2025.
For a decade, the Department of Defense itself has repeated that each F-35 contains 920 pounds of rare earths.
The strategically critical content is the high-temperature SmCo and dysprosium-doped NdFeB in the engine actuators, electric drives, and radar. »