Rare Earth Elements in the Defense Industry: Strategic Dependency and Geo-economic Competition

Abstract

This study examines the decisive role of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in the modern defense industry within the context of global supply chain structures, great-power competition, and the defense economy. As traditional warfare doctrines have evolved from a “steel and gunpowder” axis toward an “electron- and photon-based” paradigm, REEs have become indispensable inputs for modern military systems. The strategic dependency created by China-centered production and refining structures constitutes a critical vulnerability for the United States, Europe, and emerging economies alike, while regions such as Greenland, Venezuela, and the Middle East are emerging as new arenas of geopolitical competition.

Within this framework, the study evaluates the high reserve potential identified in Türkiye’s Eskişehir–Beylikova field in terms of the defense industry, economic independence, and strategic autonomy. The analyses conclude that REEs are not merely industrial inputs but represent a decisive “strategic lever” in the power struggles of the 21st century.