The Trump administration is actively courting investment proposals from domestic producers, zeroing in on metals critical for crafting fighter jets, night-vision goggles, and tank armor.

The Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC), operating under the U.S. Department of Defense, has issued a request for applications aimed at closing domestic gaps in the production of indium, manganese, magnesium, and titanium. The U.S. Geological Survey designates all four metals as critical minerals, a classification reserved for materials deemed vital to economic or national security while facing vulnerable supply chains.

According to the solicitation released last Friday, submissions are due by September 17. Eligible projects may span the entire supply chain, encompassing everything from mining, processing, and refining to alloy fabrication and recycling.

This marks the third investment call from the DIBC centered on critical minerals and advanced defense technologies since mid-2025. The government is asking entrepreneurs and businesses to submit a single-page PowerPoint slide outlining their project in four concise quadrants. Ventures that clear the initial screening will be asked to furnish deeper documentation, such as execution blueprints.

Notably, the solicitation does not disclose the scale of available investment funding. Tripp Hornick, a government funding specialist at Quince Street Strategy, suggests that clarity on available capital will likely emerge as the fiscal 2027 defense budget is finalized.

Where opportunities lie

Several U.S.-based firms are already positioned in these four critical metal sectors. IperionX holds the Titan critical minerals project in Tennessee—spanning over 11,000 acres with titanium, rare earth, and zircon sand deposits—and is constructing a titanium metal production line in Virginia. The company completed its final feasibility study in 2026 and has secured orders from the Department of Defense.

Electric Metals (USA) Ltd stands as the only enterprise actively advancing domestic manganese mining paired with battery-grade processing. Its Emily deposit and North Star project in Minnesota represent North America's highest-grade manganese resource, with downstream evaluation underway in 2026 for high-purity manganese sulfate and electrolytic manganese metal facilities. The company targets annual output of 100,000 metric tons of high-purity manganese sulfate (HPMSM) and 10,000 metric tons of electrolytic manganese metal (EMM).

Magrathea and Tetra Technologies, through their joint venture Arkansas Magnesium, completed construction in June 2026 of America's first new primary magnesium smelter in nearly five decades, located in Lafayette County, Arkansas. The facility employs underground brine electrolysis to produce magnesium metal at a minimum purity of 99.9%. Given that the U.S. previously lacked any commercial-scale primary magnesium smelting capability, this project represents a pivotal step toward rebuilding the domestic supply chain.