Vast Resources PLC (LSE:VAST, FRA:D9A), the miner with precious and polymetallic projects in Tajikistan and Romania, has been admitted to two US defence-linked bodies aimed at securing critical mineral supplies.
The company has joined the Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC), a US Department of Defense-supported initiative, and the Cornerstone Consortium, the only government-managed procurement vehicle of its kind within the department.
Both groups work to strengthen North American and allied supply chains for minerals used in defence, aerospace and advanced manufacturing.
Membership gives Vast access to a network of defence contractors, research bodies and federal agencies, along with potential funding and prototyping opportunities under the flexible Other Transaction Authority framework.
The company said it could now engage directly with US defence stakeholders, take part in solicitations and capability-matching events, and raise the profile of its projects within the sector.
Vast produces and develops copper, lead, zinc, silver, antimony and other minerals increasingly viewed as strategically important as governments seek to cut reliance on concentrated foreign sources.
The DIBC, managed by Advanced Technology International, has more than 1,500 member organisations and is open to US companies and certain allied entities, including those in the UK.
Cornerstone spans 18 industrial base sectors and was established in 2018 to support the resilience of the US manufacturing and defence base.
Vast noted that membership does not guarantee contracts or funding.
Chief executive Andrew Prelea said the admission reflected the strategic importance of the company's critical minerals portfolio, particularly as it expands into Tajikistan alongside its existing Romanian assets.
