Lockheed Martin has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with minerals developer NioCorp Developments covering the potential purchase of up to 15 tonnes of scandium oxide a year over the next decade, NioCorp announced on August 4, 2026. The material could be delivered either as oxide or as aluminum-scandium alloy.
Tyler Robinson, vice president for technology roadmaps at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, said the company appreciated NioCorp’s work on domestic sourcing and alloying and would continue to evaluate that supply as part of its wider alloy development effort. NioCorp chairman and chief executive Mark Smith framed the agreement as evidence that the argument for reducing U.S. dependence on China for scandium had strengthened.
The MOU extends a joint development program announced in October 2025, under which NioCorp and Skunk Works are producing prototype aluminum-scandium alloy components for fighter aircraft. That work draws on a $10 million award from the U.S. Department of Defense under Title III of the Defense Production Act.
However, the wider Elk Creek project is not yet fully financed or in production. NioCorp began constructing the mine portal in February 2026 but is still seeking up to $800 million in debt financing from the U.S. Export-Import Bank, with the application remaining subject to due diligence and final approval since its submission in 2023.
Scandium added to aluminum in fractions of a percent improves strength, corrosion resistance and weldability with little weight penalty, making it attractive for airframe structures and additive manufacturing. But the market remains extremely small: the U.S. Geological Survey put global consumption of scandium oxide at just 60 tonnes in 2025, with China the leading producer and the United States wholly import-dependent.
