Rare Earths
Dependency· Rare Earths · Link

Lockheed Martin F-35, Fort Worth

Fort Worth (Texas), United States32.77°N 97.44°W
computed criticality34/100
reading
≈417 kg of rare earths per F-35; samarium under Chinese export control
2025
Fault line

Each F-35 carries more than 400 kg of rare earths, from actuators to radars. The samarium in SmCo magnets, almost exclusively refined in China, is explicitly named in the April 2025 controls, with a clause targeting military uses. The most expensive weapons programme in history depends on buffer stocks and a domestic chain still under construction.

Actors
Lockheed Martin (Fort Worth)
DoD (Washington)
e-VAC, MP Materials (suppliers ramping up)
Depends on 4
Vacuumschmelze, HanauRare Earths · Linke-VAC Magnetics, SumterRare Earths · LinkTungsten, Ganzhou, JiangxiCritical Metals · Critical anchorAntimony, Lengshuijiang, HunanCritical Metals · Critical anchor
Shocks endured
Beijing puts heavy rare earths under licenseApr 4, 2025
Sources