Nevada Tungsten Mine Aims to Fill Critical U.S. Defense Gap

VANCOUVER, BC – May 13, 2026 – As the United States confronts a ticking clock on its defense supply chain, a junior exploration company is positioning a past-producing Nevada mine as a potential solution to a looming critical minerals crisis. Western Star Resources Inc. recently announced it has submitted an application to the U.S. Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC), seeking to align its Rowland Tungsten Property with the Pentagon's urgent need for secure, domestic sources of strategically vital materials.

The move comes as tungsten prices have surged approximately 900% over the last year and a critical deadline approaches. On January 1, 2027, a new federal procurement rule is set to bar tungsten sourced from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea from being used in key U.S. defense applications. With China controlling roughly 80% of the global supply and the U.S. having no domestic tungsten production since 2015, the race is on to find and develop American sources for the high-strength metal essential in everything from missiles to semiconductors.

The Race for a Secure Supply Chain

The strategic importance of tungsten cannot be overstated. Its unique properties—a high melting point and extreme hardness—make it irreplaceable in armor-piercing munitions, missile components, and other advanced defense technologies. For years, the U.S. Department of Defense has flagged its reliance on foreign, and often adversarial, nations for this and other critical minerals as a significant national security vulnerability.

In response, Washington has deployed a multi-pronged strategy to onshore these supply chains. The DIBC, managed on behalf of the Department of War, serves as a key conduit, issuing solicitations to find and potentially fund projects that can fill critical gaps. Western Star's application responds directly to a February 2026 call for proposals aimed at developing alternatives to foreign mineral dependencies. This initiative is part of a broader government effort, leveraging tools like the Defense Production Act, to stimulate a domestic mining and processing industry that has been dormant for decades.

The market has responded dramatically to these geopolitical pressures. With benchmark ammonium paratungstate (APT) prices pushing past US$3,000 per metric tonne unit, the economic incentives are finally aligning with the strategic imperatives. For companies with viable U.S.-based assets, the combination of soaring prices and government interest has created a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

Awakening a Nevada Sleeping Giant

At the heart of Western Star's bid is the Rowland Tungsten Property, located in the historic Jarbidge mining district of Elko County, Nevada. The site is not a new discovery but a past-producer with a documented history of shipping ore in the 1940s and 1950s. This history, combined with modern exploration technology, is what makes the project compelling.

A recent high-resolution LiDAR survey identified more than 17 historical open pits, trenches, and other workings scattered across two kilometers of known mineralization. This extensive past activity is a crucial advantage, as the company expects the project to be classified as previously disturbed, which could significantly streamline the complex and often lengthy permitting process.

Geologically, the project features a classic skarn system, where a granitic intrusion has altered surrounding limestone to create zones rich in tungsten-bearing scheelite. In a March 2026 statement, CEO and President Blake Morgan framed the company's position. "With the start of the spring field season coinciding with strong tungsten prices, we are ideally positioned to initiate the maiden exploration program at Rowland," he said. Morgan also highlighted that company leadership would be traveling to Washington in May for meetings to discuss the asset's potential.

From LiDAR to Drill Bit: The 2026 Game Plan

With a clear objective and a favorable market, Western Star is not wasting time. The company has designed a comprehensive 2026 work program to quickly advance the Rowland property toward a maiden drill program. The initial phase involves systematically sampling all the historical workings identified by LiDAR to verify historical grades and define the extent of mineralized zones.

The most significant step forward will be the property's first-ever modern geophysical survey. A high-resolution UAV magnetic survey is planned to map the subsurface geology, refine the location of the intrusive contact that drives mineralization, and identify structural controls that may host higher-grade tungsten. This data is critical for de-risking the project and generating high-priority targets for the planned drill program.

In parallel with the fieldwork, the company is initiating the permitting process with Elko County authorities. By running the exploration and permitting tracks concurrently, Western Star aims to be in a position to begin drill testing its highest-priority targets before the end of the year, a rapid timeline for the mining sector.

A Crowded Field in the Critical Minerals Push

Western Star is not alone in its efforts. The U.S. government's push to reshore critical mineral supply chains has galvanized activity across the sector. Several companies are making significant strides, illustrating the scale of the national initiative.

Almonty Industries is advancing its Gentung Browns Lake project in Montana, which could become the first new U.S. tungsten mine in over a decade. In the rare earths space, MP Materials is operating the nation's only integrated mine-to-magnet supply chain, backed by a major public-private partnership with the Department of Defense. Similarly, Energy Fuels is repurposing its Utah-based White Mesa Mill to produce separated rare earth oxides, leveraging existing infrastructure to create a new domestic supply. Even other Nevada tungsten projects are gaining traction, with Guardian Metal Resources receiving Defense Production Act funding to advance its Pilot Mountain project.

This burgeoning domestic industry provides the context for Western Star's ambitions. While the company is at an earlier stage than some peers, its focus on a past-producing asset in a Tier-1 jurisdiction, combined with a clear exploration plan and direct engagement with defense procurement bodies, positions it as a noteworthy contender. With fieldwork results, geophysical data, and key meetings in Washington all on the calendar for 2026, the coming months will be pivotal in determining if the Rowland Tungsten Property can help answer America's call for a secure supply of critical minerals before the 2027 deadline arrives.