The Pentagon awarded $6.2 million to Golden Metal Resources to study tungsten mining in Nevada, marking a push to revive domestic production of the critical defense metal.
The U.S. hasn’t mined tungsten in nearly a decade, leaving military suppliers dependent on foreign sources for a metal essential to aerospace systems, ground vehicles, and munitions.
“Tungsten is an essential alloying metal for aerospace, ground vehicles, munitions, and many other defense systems,” said Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, Dr. Vic Ramdass. “Developing a domestic source for tungsten is one of our top critical and strategic mineral priorities.”
Golden Metal Resources, a subsidiary of publicly traded Guardian Metal Resources PLC, will use the funds to complete a pre-feasibility study at Pilot Mountain, southeast of Hawthorne, Nevada.
The study will include metallurgical testing, engineering assessments, and environmental reviews. Results will determine whether commercial-scale tungsten extraction is viable at the site.
“This investment will put the Nation on a path to achieve production capability for commercial-scale levels of tungsten, a key metal for numerous DoD systems,” said William “Greg” Davis, Acting Director of the Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization Directorate, per the news release.
The award represents one of three tungsten sourcing investments made by the DPA Purchases office since 2024. Funding is provided through the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2022.
Since the start of fiscal year 2025, the DPA Purchases Office has made eight awards totaling $314.9 million. Recipients have contributed $83.4 million in cost shares during the same period.
The tungsten initiative aligns with Executive Order 14241, issued March 20, 2025, which aims to boost American mineral production and reduce supply chain vulnerabilities.