. Not for EVs this time: NATO’s mineral needs for weapons NATO’s list of 12 defence-critical raw materials, released i(Aluminium, Beryllium, Cobalt, Gallium, Germanium, Graphite, Lithium, Manganese, Platinum, Rare Earth Elements, Titanium, and Tungsten), along with the associated risk assessments, makes this clear. The risk map - Very high risk (red): Aluminium and graphite are used as fundamental structural and thermal materials in almost every platform (fighter aircraft, main battle tanks, missiles, submarines, artillery, and ammunition). They are the most widely used and highest-risk pair. - High risk (orange): Cobalt, beryllium, chromium, nickel, titanium, tungsten, rare earth elements (neodymium, samarium, dysprosium, etc.), tantalum, vanadium and similar materials are critical for jet engines, radar systems, guidance systems, and armour-piercing ammunition. - Fighter aircraft require the most diverse and intensive set of materials. In submarines and surface naval platforms, graphite reduces acoustic signatures and improves stealth. In ammunition and torpedoes, dense, high-performance metals such as tungsten, zirconium and lithium stand out. Specific uses and dependencies - Cobalt: Modern jet-engine superalloys, missiles and submarine systems. - Graphite: Submarine hulls and structural components - Aluminium: The backbone of aircraft, missile and ship structures - Rare earth elements (REEs): Radar, guidance, actuators and electronic systems and F-35 - Tungsten: Armour-piercing ammunition - Gallium and Germanium: Semiconductors in radar, night-vision and guidance systems. China holds a dominant position in either mining or (more critically) refining/processing for most materials on the list. Even where mining is concentrated elsewhere refining capacity is largely in China. Source: @BBVAResearch