China’s rare earth monopoly threatens Europe’s military future

Rare earth minerals, though small in volume, have become critical to reshaping global security and Europe’s military preparedness. As rearmament accelerates across Brussels and other European capitals, securing access to these essential resources has emerged as a strategic imperative for safeguarding defence industries and ensuring military readiness.

Embedded in advanced weaponry—from precision-guided munitions to night vision optics—rare earth elements (REEs) are indispensable to modern warfare technology. However, China’s near-monopoly on rare earth production and Russia’s control over other critical raw materials threaten Europe’s ambitious defence plans, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

In a notable move this April, amid escalating tensions with the US and the EU over trade and tariffs, China withheld export approvals for seven key REEs and magnets—samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium—used by NATO allies for fighter jets and missile systems. This act underscored Beijing’s dominant position in the global supply chain.

REEs are notoriously difficult and costly to mine and refine, given their dispersed occurrence and complex extraction process. China’s heavy investment since the 1980s has given it control over roughly 60% of global production, more than 85% of processing capacity, and about 30% of known reserves as of 2023.

The European Commission’s 2023 critical raw materials list highlights 34 materials vital to the EU economy, 12 of which NATO classifies as essential for defence. Military reliance ranges from “low-risk” to “very high-risk” materials, with graphite and aluminium identified as “high-risk” due to their extensive use.

According to the Centre for Strategic & International Studies, an F-35 fighter jet contains over 900 pounds of REEs, a DDG-51 destroyer requires approximately 5,200 pounds, and a Virginia-class submarine nearly 9,200 pounds.

While Brussels invests in domestic mineral production, it remains insufficient to meet demand. Supply chain diversification through partnerships with resource-rich regions such as Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Ukraine offers a critical, albeit challenging, alternative.

Central Asia boasts numerous operational mines, whereas Ukraine’s mineral infrastructure is underdeveloped and complicated by ongoing conflict. Still, these alliances may prove as vital to Europe’s defence as its tanks and jets.

By Vafa Guliyeva