The Irregular Warfare Initiative (IWI) and the Special Operations Association of America (SOAA) hosted a two-day conference on critical minerals. The gathering was focused on the role of critical minerals and rare earth elements in strategic competition. As demand for these resources grows, control of supply chains has become a central factor in national security and irregular competition.
The “Strategic Resources in Competition: Critical Minerals & Rare Earth Elements” conference took place in Reston, Virginia, on July 21-22, 2026. Over 250 leaders from government, industry, academia, nonprofit organizations, and the broader national security community were in attendance.
The conference examined how strategic resources are used as instruments of leverage, denial, and influence. Day one was focused on supply chain vulnerabilities, economic statecraft, and gray-zone dynamics, while day two shifted to forward-looking solutions and emerging approaches to strengthening resilience. The event also included an invitation-only working group and tabletop exercise (TTX), convening senior stakeholders to explore how to compete and shape outcomes in contested resource environments.
Critical Minerals in an Era of Strategic Competition
The principal adversaries of the United States in this era of strategic competition are China and Russia. The competition takes place in many forms – military, diplomatic, economic, and more. Critical minerals are an area where the strategic competition is intense. Critical minerals support numerous technologies and economic sectors, including solar power, battery storage, semiconductors, wind turbines, chemical manufacturing, fiber-optic communications, aviation, and national defense.
One of our principal adversaries, China, controls most of the global market for processing and refining several critical minerals, including cobalt, graphite, lithium, and rare earth elements. Decades ago, China began implementing long-term plans to establish a firm grip on critical-mineral supply chains.
The United States remains heavily dependent on foreign sources for many critical minerals. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the country was more than 50 percent import-reliant for 33 critical minerals in 2025, with China serving as a major source for 14 of them. China’s dominance of current critical mineral supply chains was built over decades using state funding, relaxed environmental standards, and low-interest loans to foreign countries to dominate the market and eliminate Western competition.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has already demonstrated its willingness to restrict supplies of critical minerals to its strategic competitors. In December 2024, China prohibited exports of gallium, germanium, antimony, and certain related materials to the United States. In April 2025, China imposed export controls on seven categories of medium and heavy rare-earth-related items, further demonstrating its ability to influence global supply chains.
Speakers and Panelists
There were over 30 speakers and panelists from a variety of backgrounds – industry, academia, intelligence, national security, and business. Doug Livermore opened the event with remarks to the audience. He currently serves as the Chief of the Irregular Warfare Division in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security. The day-one keynote speaker was Maura Burns, former chief operating officer (COO) for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The day-two keynote speaker was Jacob Clayton, chief executive officer (CEO) of SAGINT.
Nine panel discussions featured experts from a variety of backgrounds who examined the many issues surrounding critical minerals. An article and YouTube video of each of the panel discussion are provided below.
Panel Discussion at the 2026 SOAA / IWI Conference on Critical Minerals. Photo by Jon Armstrong.
Articles and Videos from Panels and Fireside Chats
Deconstructing the Critical Minerals Supply Chain
https://soaa.org/deconstructing-the-critical-minerals-supply-chain/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjgJp5k4Kq4
Economic Statecraft & Strategic Competition
https://soaa.org/economic-statecraft-strategic-competition/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GHKiAO_nwc
Fireside Chat: Competing for Critical Resources
https://soaa.org/diplomacy-resources-and-strategic-advantage/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Che5Lg08ne0
Illicit Networks and Gray Zone Activity in the Minerals Trade
https://soaa.org/illicit-networks-and-gray-zone-activity-in-the-minerals-trade/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0k_OGR-kk8
The Private Sector on the Front Lines
https://soaa.org/private-sector-front-lines/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYNyU2FhZig
The Future of Extraction and Processing
https://soaa.org/future-extraction-and-processing/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hosoIHzv7Es
Innovation in Supply Chain Resiliency and Security
https://soaa.org/innovation-supply-chain-resiliency-and-security/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHb6ugicDk4
Fireside Chat: Capital Allocation for Strategic Advantage
https://soaa.org/capital-allocation-strategic-advantage/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18Q9ytPaIJE
Building Resilient Systems
https://soaa.org/building-resilient-systems/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD4_XN2VnZs
Tabletop Exercise
A number of attendees were invited to participate in a tabletop exercise, with participants representing military, diplomatic, academic, mining, energy, transportation, industrial, and business perspectives. Set in 2028, the exercise examined the critical-mineral supply chain from mining operations in a central African country through land transportation, port operations, maritime movement, processing, and delivery to the final user.
Along the way, the exercise participants were exposed to the issues of economic significance, strategic competition, security situations, civil strife, political dynamics, corruption, and investor confidence. The exercise explored methods of strengthening critical-mineral supply-chain resilience.
Penn State Presentation on Domestic Critical Minerals Supply Chain
Sarma V. Pisupati is a professor of energy and mineral engineering and chemical engineering at Penn State and director of the university’s Center for Critical Minerals. He presented a brief about recovering critical minerals and rare-earth elements from unconventional sources – including coal waste, acid-mine drainage, and metal slags – to strengthen domestic supply chains.
The Center for Critical Minerals seeks to demonstrate a fully domestic supply chain that converts environmentally harmful waste materials into finished products for high-technology and defense applications. Using a table display and mineral samples, Pisupati provided interested attendees with individual briefings on Penn State’s work in this critical area.
Sponsors
There were several conference sponsors, including Tower Strategy, SAGINT, PHENOM Resources, Carasoft, BlackBerry, HADEAN, and HK>A. Some sponsors staffed display tables where representatives explained their products and services. Sponsors were also given time to explain how their organizations contribute to the critical-minerals sector.
Hosts
The Irregular Warfare Initiative (IWI) is a nonprofit organization working to bridge the gap between scholars, practitioners, and policymakers engaged in the study and practice of irregular warfare. Through a mix of publications, podcasts, and events, IWI fosters dialogue on gray zone conflict, information warfare, proxy competition, and other forms of conflict that fall below the threshold of conventional war. By connecting academic research with operational insights, IWI helps prepare today’s thought leaders for the complex challenges of the modern national security environment and strategic competition.
The Special Operations Association of America (SOAA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for the interests of the U.S. special operations community. SOAA works to ensure that current and former special operations personnel receive the support, resources, and recognition they have earned. The organization also engages directly with Congress, the Department of Defense, and other stakeholders on national security issues that affect the special operations enterprise. SOAA promotes public understanding of special operations through strategic communications, veteran engagement, and partnerships with industry and academia.
Setting for the Event
The conference was held in Reston, Virginia, at the headquarters of Carahsoft. It was a convenient location, just ten minutes from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). For those traveling to D.C. by way of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), it was a 40-minute ride away. Special hotel rates were available for those attending the event and Carahsoft offered plenty of free on-site parking. The modern conference hall offered extensive audiovisual support, along with breakfast and midday meals.
The Critical Minerals Conference was both informative and engaging. Its panels, presentations, discussions, and networking opportunities offered valuable insight into the importance of critical minerals to the U.S. economy and national security. Attendees left with a better understanding of the complete supply chain—from extraction and processing to transportation and delivery to the final user—and established connections with representatives from across the critical-minerals community.
*********
References:
Critical Minerals, National Security Info
https://www.national-security.info/topics/critical-minerals.html
Image: Featured image generated using artificial intelligence.
