The Department of War (DoW) announced January 29 that it will spend $18.1 million through the Defense Production Act for 5N Plus Inc.
The spending was approved December 15, 2025, but the announcement was delayed by the government shutdown.
The funding addresses critical supply chain vulnerabilities for military optics and satellite solar cells. Both technologies depend heavily on germanium, a metal currently lacking sufficient domestic production capacity.
5N Plus will expand its Utah facility’s refining capacity sevenfold to over 20 metric tons annually. The expansion directly supports germanium crystal production for defense applications.
“Our warfighters depend on next generation optics for surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting, and germanium is a key element in their manufacture,” said Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy Mike Cadenazzi. “Increasing domestic germanium production is one of the highest industrial base priorities for the DoW.”
Military systems requiring germanium include night vision equipment, thermal weapon sights, and surveillance windows. The metal also powers satellite solar cells for military and civilian use.
The spending supports Executive Order 14241, which directs agencies to increase domestic production of critical minerals.
“By expanding capacity for refining germanium metal, this investment addresses a capability bottleneck that affects some of our most critical weapons platforms across all the military Services,” said Jeffrey Frankston, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Resilience.
5N Plus plans to tap previously unused domestic germanium sources. This approach advances U.S. supply chain independence for the strategic metal.
The funding marks the first Defense Production Act Purchases Office award announced for fiscal year 2026. Last fiscal year saw $88 million in recipient cost shares across all projects.
