Panther Metals (LSE:PALM), the London-listed exploration company, said it has been awarded membership of the United States Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC).
The membership gives Panther access to US government defence procurement and funding opportunities aimed at strengthening strategic supply chains, including critical minerals, the company said.
The DIBC supports US government initiatives tackling vulnerabilities in the defence industrial base through competitive solicitation programmes, and has awarded more than $410 million in funding since its inception across projects supporting the defence industrial base, including critical mineral supply chains.
Panther's Ontario-based portfolio includes the Obonga Project, where Phase 1 diamond drilling at the Wishbone prospect has confirmed chalcopyrite mineralisation grading 8.34% copper, the first copper grade of that scale reported at Obonga, alongside zinc mineralisation of up to 11.65% from earlier campaigns.
The company believes that the portfolio positions it as a credible candidate for future DIBC procurement and funding programmes, and intends to pursue opportunities by submitting proposals against critical mineral solicitations.
"We believe the potential scale of our mineral assets warrants engagement at the highest levels of government and industry, particularly as North America accelerates efforts to secure long-term domestic and allied supply chains for strategically important minerals," said Darren Hazelwood, chief executive officer.
"We are no longer simply identifying opportunities. We are positioning Panther to participate directly in the programmes designed to deliver them," Hazelwood added.