Why Ground-to-Round Is the Future of U.S. Munitions in a Multi-Front World
The Critical Minerals Powering Precision Strikes, and Why America Is Racing to Secure Them from China
As the Pentagon gears up for the unsettling prospect of simultaneous conflicts across the globe, one quiet revolution is underway deep in the supply chains that fuel modern warfare. Precision-guided missiles, armor-piercing rounds, and advanced guidance systems don't just rely on cutting-edge engineering, they depend on a handful of obscure minerals that have become geopolitical flashpoints. With adversaries like China and Russia potentially coordinating strikes, the U.S. is waking up to a stark reality: without secure access to these raw materials, even the mightiest military could run dry in a prolonged fight.
At the heart of this shift lies the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, signed into law on December 18, 2025. This sweeping legislation mandates the Department of War to assess munitions stockpiles rigorously, calculating how long American forces could sustain high-intensity operations against multiple major adversaries before critical supplies dwindle. It also requires a concrete plan to rebuild those reserves, factoring in ally contributions and adversary capabilities. More than $25 billion is earmarked to restore munitions production, targeting everything from Javelins and Tomahawks to artillery shells and air-to-air missiles.
Yet the real vulnerability isn't in the factories, it's underground and overseas. Rare earth elements power the permanent magnets in missile actuators and guidance fins, enabling pinpoint accuracy. Tungsten forms the dense cores of kinetic penetrators that slice through armor across all calibers. Antimony hardens primers and explosives, essential for every bullet and shell. Germanium and gallium drive infrared optics and semiconductors in night-vision gear and electronic warfare systems. Cobalt strengthens high-temperature alloys in propulsion units. These materials, often processed in facilities dominated by China, represent chokepoints that could throttle U.S. production rates in a crisis.
China controls the lion's share: over 90 percent of processed rare earths and magnets, more than 80 percent of antimony, and dominant shares in gallium, germanium, and tungsten refining. Export restrictions tightened in 2025, with expansions in October targeting additional rare earths and technologies, though some were paused for a year following U.S.-China talks. The risks are clear, disruptions could delay replenishment, turning a multi-theater war into a logistical nightmare.
Enter the Pentagon's push for resilience, highlighted by what insiders affectionately dub the "Ground-to-Round" approach, a clever nod to building fully domestic pipelines from mine extraction straight through to finished ammunition. This strategy, championed by the U.S. Army, aims to create self-sufficient supply chains that bypass foreign bottlenecks. It's already yielding results: partnerships with companies like Perpetua Resources (NASDAQ: PPTA) are piloting mobile refineries in Idaho for antimony trisulfide, vital for primers, with plans to expand to tungsten and rare earths. United States Antimony Corporation (NYSE: UAMY) has secured massive Defense Logistics Agency contracts, ramping up integrated mining and processing in Montana. Deals with allies, such as South Korea's reopened Sangdong tungsten mine, add diversified sources.
The FY2026 NDAA doubles down, prohibiting procurement of critical minerals mined, refined, or separated in non-allied nations, primarily targeting China, and pouring billions into domestic capacity, recycling programs, and the National Defense Stockpile. Expedited qualification for compliant suppliers ensures faster integration into defense contracts.
In an era where wars could erupt from Taiwan to Europe in tandem, these efforts aren't just prudent, they're essential. The U.S. is betting big on turning mineral vulnerabilities into strengths, ensuring that when the next salvo flies, American forces won't be left wanting for the raw stuff of victory. After all, in great-power competition, the side that controls the ground often wins the round.
Sources:
- Stars and Stripes: "Pentagon would be tasked with assessing ammo stockpiles for multifront war under defense spending bill" by John Vandiver, December 9, 2025
- U.S. Geological Survey Critical Minerals List updates and assessments (2025)
- FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (Public Law, signed December 18, 2025)
- Department of Defense reports and announcements on critical minerals initiatives (2025)
- Reuters and industry reports on domestic antimony and tungsten production advancements (2025)