Ioneer (NASDAQ: IONR) boosts Rhyolite Ridge capex, secures US$996M DOE loan

From June 2-26, 2026, the US committed about $2.9B in direct federal funding to expand rare earths and permanent magnet supply chains outside China, led by Commerce’s CHIPS Act. Companies added $1.4B. DOD and DOE also issued loans and ARPA-E research funding, while the Army opened bases for processing. USA Rare Earth, Energy Fuels, Phoenix Tailings, Empire State Mines, EnergyX, Ioneer, and REalloys were named.

Eaton (NYSE:ETN) said the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory awarded it a $7 million, 24-month contract to use quantum computing, machine learning, and advanced visualization to improve power grid resilience and protection. The work, with Infleqtion and Penn State, targets detection and response to multiple concurrent physical and cyber threats, addressing NERC N-2 contingency requirements.

ExxonMobil Moçambique Limitada issued McDermott Energy Solutions (UK) a letter of intent for limited engineering and procurement work on Rovuma LNG Phase 1 midstream development. The award supports planning ahead of a final investment decision expected in 2026. Rovuma LNG targets 12 modular trains totaling 18.6 mtpa, with start-up in 2031. ExxonMobil says the 30-year project could generate about $150B in revenues for Mozambique’s government.

Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic said Serbia will open a joint UAV factory with Elbit Systems, with inauguration expected Sept 15-20. Elbit will hold 51% and Serbia’s state arms firm SDPR 49%. The factory relates to a five-year contract covering precision rockets and unmanned systems, plus ISTAR, digitization and upgrades.

The U.S. Department of Defense, according to The Washington Post, asked defense contractors to submit within 21 days production and delivery schedules for critical systems, citing depleted stockpiles. CSIS estimates cite heavy early use of missiles and falling Patriot and THAAD inventories. The Pentagon is working with Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin, including a $58.6B deal to triple PAC-3 output by 2030, pending a stalled $1.15T defense budget.

The Pentagon ordered US defense contractors to submit within 21 days plans to accelerate production of missiles and interceptors amid shortages after the first month of strikes against Iran. It cited depleted Patriot and THAAD inventories and said framework agreements with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman target PAC-3 and THAAD output. Lockheed Martin received a contract up to $58.6B to triple PAC-3 production by 2030.