US project aggregates rare-earth magnet demand from drones
Project Swarm is an industry initiative to address requirements of US and allied drone and motor manufacturers.
Rare-earths producer MP Materials is launching the project with the aim of creating the scale and long-term visibility needed to reserve future production capacity, accelerate standardisation and build a durable domestic supply chain.
Participating manufacturers will be able to reserve future production capacity from MP Materials’ 10X magnet manufacturing facility, without making binding purchase commitments.
The facility is being developed in Northlake, Texas, in partnership with the US Department of War.
As technologies mature and production programmes evolve, participants can reportedly refine their requirements while retaining priority access to supply.
Participants are said to gain access to MP’s engineering team to optimise magnet designs and may receive preferential opportunities to secure earlier production from its Independence facility in Fort Worth, Texas.
Project Swarm’s approach aims to give manufacturers flexibility while providing MP with the demand visibility it needs to invest in manufacturing capacity.
It will reportedly also enable manufacturers to share strategic industrial infrastructure that no single company could build alone, resulting in a more resilient, domestic supply chain that could support millions of drones and other autonomous systems each year, rather than relying on overseas supply chains.
This comes as the Federal Communications Commission has moved to restrict certain foreign-produced drones, robots and critical components. Beginning in 2027, the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement requirements for neodymium-iron-boron magnets expand to encompass the entire supply chain.
