Niocorp Developments Ltd (NB)

[The_Gman]

Just a reminder - from the:
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

https://www.congress.gov/congressional-report/118th-congress/house-report/125/1

Aluminum-Scandium Master Alloy Production

The committee recognizes that China is a major producer of
high-purity scandium oxide, which has many powerful
applications in defense technologies, including strengthening
and light-weighting defense and commercial aviation systems. As
scandium oxide production is established in the United States,
a missing supply chain component is the conversion of scandium
from its oxide form to aluminum-scandium (AlSc) master alloy.
This process step is required for utilization of U.S.-mined
scandium by many defense applications. At present, production
capacity of AlSc master alloy is limited to one facility in the
United States. The committee recognizes that the United States
may soon become a major producer of high-purity scandium oxide
by virtue of a proposed mine and mineral processing project in
Nebraska. The committee recognizes the defense-wide importance
of a vertical domestic supply chain for both scandium oxide and
AlSc master alloy and the critical importance of both materials
for the production of air-, land-, and sea-based combat
systems.

Aluminum-Scandium Master Alloy Production

The committee is aware that the rare earth element scandium
has important defense and aviation applications when converted
from its mined oxide form to an aluminum-scandium (AlSc) master
alloy. The committee understands that the global production of
scandium is currently dominated by China and Russia but that
the United States is poised to become one of the world's
largest producers of high-purity scandium oxide due to proposed
private-sector domestic mine and mineral processing projects.
Therefore the committee directs the Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Industrial Base Policy to provide a briefing to the
House Committee on Armed Services not later than December 29,
2023 describing the critical defense applications for AlSc
master alloy, a list of specific defense programs that require
access to AlSc master alloy, and recommendations to improve
defense innovation and industrial base access to scandium oxide
and AlSc master alloy.