Gunnison Copper (TSX:GCU) is expanding its access to US funding and strategic opportunities, after becoming a member in the Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC), a US Department of War initiative.
The company’s membership in the DIBC reflects its role as a US-based, execution-focused copper producer and developer capable of rapidly delivering large-scale US-made refined copper supply to the defence sector.
The DIBC is focused on accelerating development of resilient domestic supply chains for technology and critical minerals essential to national security, while enabling funding, coordination, and rapid development of industrial capacity.
CFO Craig Hallworth says the membership marks a milestone for the company as it continues to position itself as a reliable, domestic source of copper for US defence and manufacturing supply chains.
“Our ability to rapidly deliver new production, combined with the significant scale of our development pipeline, positions Gunnison to benefit from potential government-backed funding and to accelerate development of our projects while supporting critical US supply chains,” Hallworth says.
In 2025, Gunnison restarted its Johnson Camp Mine, which was supported by the US Department of Energy through an award of US$13.9 million ($19.37 million).
The project, with Rio Tinto’s (ASX:RIO) venture Nuton, is now producing copper cathode from run-of-mine ore, with first production using Nuton technologies expected later this year. Johnson Camp is expected to produce 25 million pounds of copper annually.
Gunnison is also advancing its flagship namesake project located in Arizona. The project is expected to deliver up to 174 million pounds of copper per year, representing a nationally significant contribution to domestic refined copper supply.
The company says this level of production could support defence manufacturing at unprecedented volumes, including billions of ammunition components annually, critical inputs for electrical systems and power infrastructure, and materials essential for advanced defence platforms including drones and communications systems.
Gunnison Copper is a multi-asset, pure-play copper developer and producer focused on the Southern Arizona copper belt.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Gunnison Copper
