The US Army is doing something it hasn’t really done before: inviting private companies onto military bases to build mineral processing facilities. The goal is straightforward, even if the logistics aren’t. Reduce America’s dependence on foreign sources, particularly China, for the minerals that keep the defense supply chain running.
On December 19, 2025, the Army issued a Request for Information targeting companies interested in leasing underutilized land on military installations. The mechanism is called the Enhanced Use Leasing program, and it’s designed to turn idle acreage into productive real estate while generating revenue for the Army and bolstering domestic processing capacity.
Bullet primers first, bigger ambitions later
The first mineral in the crosshairs is antimony trisulfide. If that sounds obscure, here’s why it matters: it’s a critical ingredient in bullet primers. Without antimony trisulfide, ammunition doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to.
The Army has already built a modular refinery capable of producing between seven and ten metric tons of antimony trisulfide annually. That refinery was developed with $30 million in funding and is being tested at the Idaho National Laboratory.
