Military Aircraft Swarm Missouri Rare Earth Site — What's Really Going On?

Pea Ridge Deposits is a National Security issue--what is going on in Missouri and are our politicians being honest or preparing to line their pockets?

F-35 is built from neodymium and dysprosium

The skies above rural Missouri have been unusually active lately, directly over deposits potentially worth tens of billions. Pea Ridge Mine, believed to be still owned by Jim Kennedy, contains critical rare earth elements, including neodymium, dysprosium, terbium, and europium—minerals valued at $200-$900 per kilogram that power everything from F-35 fighter jets to missile guidance systems.

According to geological research, these deposits contain an estimated 700,000 tons of rare earth elements with "significant levels of praseodymium, neodymium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium and other heavy REEs." These deposits could reduce U.S. dependence on Chinese imports by up to 20% at full production, making Pea Ridge and surrounding deposits a national security asset.

These strategic minerals are technically owned by whoever holds the mineral rights—which could be private entities, including potentially companies like Schatz Underground, run by former state Representative Dave Schatz—or various corporate interests who've acquired rights from the state of Missouri. The question of who benefits from these discoveries isn't academic but a matter of national security.

Weather Created Perfect Conditions

Recent heavy snowfall from February 18-20, 2025, followed by warming temperatures in the 40s and 50s, created perfect conditions. The freeze-thaw cycle has saturated the ground, pushing buried rocks and materials to the surface. Local sources confirmed seeing materials emerge that were hidden just days ago.

Under crystal clear blue skies with excellent visibility, these conditions provided an ideal window for any detection or survey operations. The timing seems deliberate.

The Flight Patterns Tell A Story

The public near Sullivan and Pea Ridge mines has been tracking a Boeing KC-135R/T Stratotanker (military registration 62-3518) making repeated oval patterns over the same area throughout the day on February 24, 2025. The aircraft is visible on ADS-B Exchange flight tracking, but here's where it gets interesting — it's not alone.

(For those unfamiliar, ADS-B is Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, a technology that allows anyone with the correct receiver or website access to track aircraft positions in real-time. It's what powers flight-tracking websites and apps. Most civilian and commercial aircraft are required to use it—revealing their position, altitude, and speed—but military aircraft can choose to "go dark" and not broadcast this data.)

Video evidence shows other aircraft operating in close formation that don't appear on civilian tracking systems. These "ghost" aircraft operate entirely in the dark. The same day, a helicopter was spotted skimming just above the tree line, also absent from tracking systems.

KC-135s typically operate at 20,000+ feet in designated military zones, maintaining speeds over 300 knots. What's happening over Pea Ridge breaks the typical protocols: lower altitudes, repeated circuits over a specific non-military area, and multiple flights on the same day. While these flights could happen over the Mark Twain National Forest at such a low altitude, there may be other motivations for the presence of the multiple Airbuses without transponders and helicopters.

Not Your Standard Survey Approach

Standard geological surveys for rare earth elements use specialized light aircraft, helicopters, or drones with radiometric sensors, electromagnetic equipment, and advanced imaging technology. They typically fly tight grid patterns at consistently low altitudes.

What makes this situation particularly unusual is that the KC-135 tanker appears to be refueling multiple Airbus aircraft during these operations. Video evidence shows these interactions occurring at unusually low altitudes for refueling operations, which typically happen above 20,000 feet. The Airbus aircraft engaged in these operations don't appear on civilian tracking systems, raising questions about their mission and equipment.

Using a massive KC-135 tanker for this work is unusual, but the coordinated refueling of multiple "dark" aircraft suggests a complex, sustained operation far exceeding standard survey protocols. Right after conditions that might make detection easier, the timing indicates they're deploying some non-standard approach that requires extended flight time and multiple aircraft working in concert.

Additionally, the different thermal properties of rare earth minerals become more pronounced during these conditions. As the ground thaws unevenly, minerals with higher thermal conductivity (like many rare earth elements) create detectable temperature differences on the surface that can be identified with infrared and thermal imaging systems.

The presence of untracked aircraft alongside the visible KC-135 indicates the possibility of a coordinated operation that the military wants to keep quiet. Their non-standard flight patterns and refueling behavior suggest specialized equipment or methodologies beyond conventional survey capabilities.

All of this evidence is not proof of surveys. However, in the 21st Century, Missouri is primed to become an essential center for the Air Force and possibly the Space Force.

The China Connection: A Ticking Strategic Time Bomb

The intense military interest makes perfect sense when you understand what's underneath Pea Ridge. What's at stake here isn't just valuable minerals—it's America's technological military superiority.

These rare earth elements are the backbone of our most advanced weapons systems. They're essential for everything from the guidance systems in our precision munitions to the radar systems in F-35 fighters, from night vision equipment to secure communications networks. The Department of Energy and Oak Ridge National Laboratory recently confirmed that Pea Ridge is "the only fully permitted domestic source for heavy REEs critical for high operating temperature, high-value neodymium magnets." These magnets are essential in defense systems that must operate in extreme conditions.

Here's the national security nightmare: If China decides to cut off our REE supply—a card they've explicitly threatened to play—the consequences would be devastating. In 2019, during trade tensions with the U.S., Chinese state media openly warned that China might restrict rare earth exports as a countermeasure, with the People's Daily newspaper ominously asking, "Will rare earths become China's counter-weapon against the US's unwarranted suppression?"

In 2021, Reuters reported that China explored new export controls on rare earth processing technology. In 2022, China consolidated its rare earth companies into a state-owned enterprise, giving the government direct control over supply.

We could rapidly find ourselves unable to produce or maintain our most advanced weapons systems. While China continues developing cutting-edge military technology, we could be forced back to 1970s or 1980s capabilities. Imagine trying to counter hypersonic missiles with technology from the Reagan era.

The Department of Defense knows this vulnerability well and desperately seeks domestic sources. With approximately 80% of our rare earth elements currently imported from China, we've handed a potential adversary an "off switch" for our military superiority. The Pentagon has classified this dependency as an "unacceptable strategic vulnerability."

This isn't just about economics or mining rights—it's about whether America can defend itself in a future conflict. The Pea Ridge deposits represent something far more valuable than their market price suggests: strategic independence.

The Facts Speak For Themselves

I'm not claiming to know precisely what classified operations are underway. Here is the evidence:

1. Multiple military flights were over a site with strategically valuable minerals.

2. Aircraft operating without public tracking identification, unusual flight paths.

3. All occurred on a day precisely when ground conditions might be ideal for detection.

4. Pea Ridge mine was abandoned when it was still a productive mine with iron, gold, and Rare Earth Elements.

The military has made no secret about wanting to secure domestic sources of these critical minerals. With China controlling the global supply, the stakes couldn't be higher.

One thing's certain — the activity over Pea Ridge isn't routine training or standard refueling operations. Whether it's experimental technology, urgent resource assessment, or something else entirely, these skies tell a story that connects directly to national security concerns.

The question is: Why aren't they acknowledging what they're doing? If we don’t produce Rare Earth Minerals, we lose an edge. However, the problem isn’t with our national security but with the people playing games to benefit from this secret arrangement through political backdeals and maneuvering.

Sources and References

1. People's Daily commentary on rare earths as potential "counter-weapon" (2019): "United States, don't underestimate China's ability to strike back." People's Daily, May 29, 2019.

2. Reuters report on export controls (2021): "Exclusive: China plans to raise minimum renewable power purchase to 40% by 2030 - government document." Reuters, April 22, 2021.

3. China's rare earth consolidation (2022): "China creates rare earths mega-company." Financial Times, December 23, 2021.

4. Pentagon classification of REE dependency: "Review of Critical Minerals and Materials," Department of Defense Report to Congress, June 2021.

5. Pea Ridge REE composition data: "Rare-Earth Element Deposits in the Pea Ridge and Pilot Knob Iron-Oxide Mines, Southeast Missouri," USGS Open-File Report, 2019.

6. KC-135 operations specifications: "KC-135 Stratotanker," U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet, 2022.

7. Rare earth pricing information: "Rare Earth Metals Market Report," U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2024.

8. Husman, James R. (1989): "Gold, Rare Earth Element, and Other Potential By-Products of the Pea Ridge Iron Ore Mine, Washington County, Missouri." Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Geological Survey and Resource Assessment Division, OFR-89-78-MR.

9. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (2023): "Owner of US heavy rare earth mine licenses ORNL separation technology." ORNL News, November 28, 2023.

10. Tritto, Christopher (2010): "Jim Kennedy's $1 billion plan to break a Chinese monopoly." St. Louis Business Journal, September 26, 2010.