Pentagon’s $450 Million Investment in Tungsten Will Create 1,200 Jobs

The Pentagon has invested $450 million into a company that develops tungsten, as part of a move anticipated to create 1,200 jobs.

Tungsten is a dense, ultra-hard metal with the highest melting point of any element. It is used in critical components for missiles, munitions, aerospace, propulsion, naval, undersea, electronics, and industrial manufacturing applications.

In a statement on Monday, the Department of Defense (DOD) said it would invest the money into U.S. company The Elmet Group to “strengthen domestic tungsten capacity, bolster U.S. industrial resilience and military readiness, and help secure an essential material for the defense industrial base.”

“This investment reflects the Department’s commitment to rebuilding critical industrial capacity in the United States,” assistant secretary of War for industrial base policy Mike Cadenazzi said in a statement. “Expanding domestic tungsten processing will strengthen supply chain resilience, support high-quality manufacturing jobs, and reinforce the production base behind essential defense systems.”

Which Jobs Will Be Supported

The DOD said the investment would support some 1,200 jobs in the manufacturing, engineering and logistic networks tied to major defense suppliers.

In particular, it said it could create high-text jobs across Coldwater, Mich., and Lewistone, Maine, as well as other jobs in Ohio and Nevada.

The Elmet Group is the only U.S. producer of tungsten and the DOD already uses the company in 100 programs, including the F-35, Patriot PAC-3, Trident D5, NGI, PrSM, and Virginia and Columbia-class submarines.

The DOD also said investing in Elmet would allow the U.S. to reduce its reliance on other markets like China. China produces an estimated 85% of tungsten, the department said.

“The Economic Defense Unit was created to identify critical industrial chokepoints before adversaries can exploit them and before they become battlefield risk,” George K. Kollitides II, director of the Economic Defense Unit, said in a statement. “Tungsten is essential to the systems that protect American warfighters and sustain deterrence, and this investment helps secure a domestic processing capability the United States cannot afford to leave exposed.

“By pairing targeted Department support with a disciplined preferred equity structure, we are strengthening the supply chain behind more than 100 defense programs while protecting taxpayers and delivering for the joint force.”

Trump Admin Denies Munitions Shortage in Middle East

The latest announcement arrives amid reported concerns that the U.S. is suffering from a munitions shortage as its war with Iran continues.

President Donald Trump, however, said in August that the U.S. “has massive amounts” of weapons and that “large amounts are being manufactured and shipped to the U.S. as needed.”

That message was reiterated by Adm. Brad Cooper, who heads U.S. Central Command, on Sunday. When asked about munitions depletion concerns, he told CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell, “I’m not concerned at all.”

“We’re armed and ready for any contingency,” Cooper added.

The Trump administration has also requested a $1.5 trillion defense budget from Congress.

In July, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Senate Appropriations Committee lawmakers that not fully funding the DOD to the tune of $1.5 trillion is the “greatest threat” the United States faces at home and abroad.