Utah Rare-Earth Discovery Raises Stakes In US-China Minerals Race

PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB) – Massive critical minerals deposit found in Utah. Potentially the largest in North America, it provides the U.S. with a domestic source for a full spectrum of critical minerals, all extractable using a faster, cleaner process than traditional hard-rock mining.

That spectrum appears to be embedded in a geologic feature similar to the one which China has leveraged to become the world’s largest producer of several critical minerals — namely, a softer clay system.

The news will thrill the White House and the Pentagon, as it will likely reduce the U.S.’s reliance on rare-earth mineral exports from China.

Also referred to as “rare-earth” minerals/elements or “battery metals,” these are periodic table bedfellows that power the highest forms of tech in society, from the computer chips capable of running large AI systems, to the magnets inside nuclear fusion reactors.

They’re also critical for batteries in EVs and renewable energy systems like storage and solar panels.

Turning up evidence of elements like gallium, lithium, tungsten, and vanadium, the land is already permitted for mining, and extraction work would benefit from existing nearby infrastructure.

“For the first time, we have a domestic, shovel-ready source for a full spectrum of critical minerals.”

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s a roundup of today’s other top defense news from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.

THE PDB – Not the President’s Daily Briefing, but almost as good – PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF:    

NATIONAL SECURITY

President Trump announced the Navy will build Trump-class “battleships” armed with an electromagnetic railgun, even though the Navy paused the program four years ago.

Trump class “battleship” construction won’t begin until the 2030s. But, while cost estimates are still being firmed up, the Navy is moving now to award sole-source contracts to Bath Iron Works, Huntington Ingalls Industries, and Gibbs & Cox for initial design and other work related to these large warships.

HOMELAND SECURITY

About 450 U.S. Marines deployed to Joint Task Force-Southern Border in Yuma, Arizona, to boost security along the southern border.

Supreme Court blocks Trump’s National Guard deployment in Chicago to support immigration crackdown, for now, a significant defeat for the president’s efforts to send troops to U.S. cities.

The Trump administration is deploying 350 National Guard troops to New Orleans ahead of the New Year, launching another federal deployment in the city at the same time an immigration crackdown led by Border Patrol is underway.

DEFENSE POLITICS

Less business with prime contractors and better funding. 2025 was the year of transformation for the Army, thanks to the Army Transformation Initiative and sweeping acquisition overhaul.

VENEZUELA-NARCO THREAT

‘Gunboat diplomacy on steroids’: Amid a four-month-long U.S. military pressure campaign against Venezuela, White House has been quietly striking security agreements with other countries to deploy U.S. troops across Latin America and the Caribbean.

CV-22B Osprey tiltrotors, MC-130J Commando II special ops gunships deploy to Puerto Rico. Part of the growing presence of U.S. special operations forces (SOF) assets in the Caribbean as Trump’s team prepares for possible kinetic actions against Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.

U.S. forces struck a drug smuggling narco semi-submersible in the Eastern Pacific, killing one narco terrorist.

Venezuela’s rubber-stamp National Assembly passed a law enacting harsh penalties for those who support or help finance U.S. naval blockades and acts of so-called “piracy,” including up to 20 years in prison.

CHINA THREAT

Marines may finally get new medium-sized landing ships for modern-day island hopping in the Pacific against China.

Our Air Force faces a very large and capable adversary in China’s air force. USAF cannot overcome its range and numbers solely by buying more crewed combat aircraft. So, the Air Force is planning on “affordable mass” in the form of autonomous combat aircraft, or loyal wingmen.

Pentagon to contract fleet of seaplanes for Pacific conflict in National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) just passed into law.

RUSSIA THREAT

Russia fired more than 650 drones and three dozen missiles at Ukraine in a large-scale attack that cut power two days before Christmas.

UKRAINE WAR

Train for the next drone war on simulated Ukrainian front lines. Public version of simulator used by Ukrainian drone pilots offers terrifying glimpse into modern warfare. Low-cost, fast-moving drones are causing massive destruction and racking up kills against traditional armed forces, allowing smaller countries like Ukraine to hold their own against a military superpower.

NATO-EUROPEAN DEFENSE

Swedish air chief talks next-gen warplane, Gripen’s anti-drone role. He leads a growing fleet of Gripen fighters, with the goal of operating 120 in total, mixing older C/D models with new E variants. Sweden also plans to increase defense spending by $2.9 billion in 2026, an 18% increase over 2025.

U.S. cleared sale of over $950 million in medium-range air-to-air missiles to Denmark, as Trump renews push to take control of the country’s autonomous territory of Greenland.

MIDDLE EAST THREATS

Israeli Defense Minister said Israeli military will never fully withdraw from the Gaza Strip and that an army unit will be established inside the Palestinian enclave.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government agreed to carry out the largest prisoner exchange to date, marking a significant humanitarian step amid ongoing efforts to de-escalate the conflict.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

U.K. to restart nuclear-powered submarine defueling in 2026, as preparations continue at specialist dock facilities in Devonport.

Libya’s army’s chief of staff was killed in a plane crash near the Turkish capital, Ankara, minutes after the private jet he was travelling on took off from an airport.

Africa’s year of Trump. He declared a “white genocide” in South Africa, threatened military action in Nigeria, and cut off much U.S. foreign aid.

Belgium joined the case launched by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), absurdly alleging Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.

US MILITARY

2025 was about “big” things for the naval community: the Navy’s new big boss, big international agreements for the Coast Guard, and big ships.

Navy and Palantir recently announced a ‘ShipOS’ deal to integrate the tech firm’s Project Maven advanced AI software into multiple public and private shipyards to optimize naval construction and help surge nuclear submarine production under Trump.

Keeping the Marine Corps amphibious. Amphibious combat vehicles (ACVs) swam through seas and rolled onto Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base’s Red Beach. ACV crews joined several others already ferried in by Navy air-cushioned landing craft (LCAC) from dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD-52), a few miles offshore.

USAF adds third contender for initial robot-wingman buy; picks 9 for next phase. Left out after Air Force picked Anduril and General Atomics to develop prototype robot wingmen, Northrop Grumman responded with a secret, self-financed effort to get back in the game. It worked. Its Project Talon will compete for initial production contracts.

END of PDB

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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