New development agreement aims to strengthen domestic supply chain for rare earth magnets powering next-gen drone and defense propulsion systems
Laconia, New Hampshire-based propulsion developer ePropelled recently announced a joint development agreement with Oklahoma-based USA Rare Earth to develop a strategic supply and purchase relationship providing sintered neo magnets for use in ePropelled’s range of motors targeted at the uncrewed vehicles market.
“We’re thrilled to partner with USA Rare Earth to secure the rear earth materials essential to our uncrewed vehicle solutions,” stated Nick Grewal, ePropelled’s Founder, Chairman and CEO. “Expanding our supply chain—both in the U.S. and globally—is key to meeting the high expectations of our customers and staying ahead in this fast-moving industry.”
Sintered magnet technology, specifically developed for high-performance permanent magnets, involves precision processing of rare earth alloys to improve magnetic strength and stability. USAR will immediately begin prototyping neo magnets for use in ePropelled’s high-performance motors, controllers, generators, and power management systems from its Oklahoma manufacturing plant. ePropelled’s systems are used in a variety of uncrewed systems, ranging from large-payload aerial drones and long-range defense applications to small surveillance and commercial drone designs.
“This agreement is another milestone in our efforts to fill our 2026 pipeline and work through the development and qualification process with customers across industries as we complete the commissioning of our Stillwater manufacturing facility,” said Joshua Ballard, CEO of USA Rare Earth. “We are very pleased to partner with such an innovative company as ePropelled, a global leader in magnetics engineering and a proven pioneer in the design and production of electric propulsion solutions. We look forward to working with the ePropelled team to develop a true partnership in providing Made-in-the-USA designated high-quality, high-performance magnets for use in their pioneering and innovative solutions.”
ePropelled serves a broad customer base that spans aerospace, defense, industrial automation, and maritime industries, highlighting their level of compliance and wide use across multiple kinds of unmanned systems spanning land, air, and sea. Its compliance with international defense standards (e.g. NDAA) and focus on domestically manufactured components make it a compelling option for governments and OEMs seeking secure, export-ready solutions.
More information on ePropelled is available here. More information on USA Rare Earth is available here.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
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