U.S. Minerals Mining Supports National Security

In honor of Veterans Day, we would like to recognize and thank the men and women who serve our nation through military service. The mining sector is proud to provide many of the critical components of advanced technologies that keep Americans safe and our military equipped.

The U.S. Department of Defense uses nearly 750,000 tons of minerals each year, making these resources critical to the technologies that protect our troops and our nation. Minerals—including copper, lead and nickel—are used in life-saving military gear and defense technologies deployed both here and abroad And beryllium is an integral component of surveillance technologies used in weaponry that detects and destroys improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and tactical minefields; military helicopters; armor for military vehicles; and, finally, advanced communication technologies.

Learn more about how minerals make national security and the mining sector’s contributions to U.S. national security in our video below.