“Relying on a single, centralized mine represents a risk”: US wants rare earth independence from China — but can DARPA actually make it work? – United Cultures

United Cultures

“Relying on a single, centralized mine represents a risk”: US wants rare earth independence from China — but can DARPA actually make it work?

April 20, 2026

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US turns to DARPA’s Smash program to fix rare earth processing bottlenecks instead of opening new mines.

Technology