IDAHO FALLS, ID –
IDAHO FALLS, ID – The U.S. Army’s Portfolio Acquisition Executive Agile Sustainment and Ammunition (PAE AS&A) joined Perpetua Resources Inc. and Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to celebrate the opening of a new processing capability for military-grade antimony sulfide at INL on July 29. This ribbon-cutting event marks a critical milestone in establishing a secure, domestic supply chain for this essential ammunition component, vital for U.S. defense readiness.
Antimony sulfide is a key ingredient in nearly 30 percent of all military ammunition items, ensuring primers operate effectively across all temperature ranges. The U.S. previously sourced antimony sulfide from China until 2021, when that supply ended. Perpetua Resources is redeveloping an abandoned mine site in Stibnite, Idaho, which contains the raw antimony sulfide ore necessary for this critical material.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrated a significant technical achievement: the successful installation of a prototype processing facility at INL and the commencement of demonstration activities for refining antimony sulfide sourced from Stibnite. The event was hosted by INL Lab Director John Wagner and attended by Idaho Gov. Brad Little, Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke, U.S. Representative Mike Simpson, Perpetua President and CEO Jon Cherry, and other key project stakeholders.
"Securing a reliable, domestic source for military-grade antimony sulfide is a cornerstone of our defense acquisition strategy," said Col. Robert Adcock, Portfolio Management Executive for Ammunition & Energetics at Picatinny Arsenal. "By establishing an end-to-end U.S. supply chain (from raw material extraction to final munitions assembly), we are actively mitigating foreign supply chain vulnerabilities, driving procurement resilience, and ensuring our industrial base can rapidly scale to meet the demands of modern conflict."
This initiative underscores Picatinny Arsenal's pivotal role in the Army’s "Ground-to-Round" strategy, which aims to establish a complete domestic supply chain from raw material access and processing to final ammunition production.
"This mission cannot be accomplished by any single command in isolation; it requires a unified, enterprise-wide effort," Adcock explained. "By aligning the material science expertise of our research laboratories with the procurement power of our acquisition corps and the industrial muscle of our organic base, we are breaking down silos to build a resilient, unassailable supply chain from the raw earth to the frontline unit."
The PAE AS&A’s Project Manager for Maneuver Ammunition Systems (PM MAS) office initiated a $27.1 million Defense Ordnance Technology Consortium (DOTC) effort in 2023. This effort focuses on developing a process for producing military-grade antimony sulfide from raw ore, with technical support from the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Armaments Center and contracting support from Army Contracting Command – New Jersey.
Additionally, PAE AS&A, PM MAS, and DEVCOM Armaments Center provided subject matter expertise to the Defense Production Act Investments Program for a $59.3 million project with Perpetua. This project aims to complete the environmental and engineering studies required for permitting.
Perpetua Resources continues to execute the DOTC effort in partnership with INL. The prototype at INL will continue to conduct processing capability demonstrations until Perpetua begins operations and production of raw antimony sulfide at the Stibnite mine, which is scheduled to commence in late 2028.
For more information, please contact the PAE AS&A Public Affairs Office at
usarmy.pica.cpe-ae.mbx.pae-public-affairs@army.mil.