Minerals and metals are necessary components in much of the technology used for national defense. Securing the supply chains for those components has been recognized as a vulnerability by the U.S. military, and concerns around the issue were heightened by the pandemic. Many of the minerals needed for national security can be sourced here in the U.S., and reshoring these industries protects supply chains from possible disruptions. For example, Blackhawk helicopters have autonomy software and complex sensors, requiring computers that contain more than 66 different minerals.
One of those 66 inputs is gold. This versatile metal is laced through a computer’s circuit board, computer chips and the various connectors that keep the processers running. Gold is a highly efficient conductor and is therefore able to reliably carry the tiny currents within a computer. And gold is mined here in the U.S. by companies like Newmont, which poured its first gold bar from Nevada mines in 1965. The Nevada mines of Newmont are among the largest and most productive in the world, generating millions of ounces of gold, creating thousands of jobs and helping local communities to thrive.