IBAS (Industrial Base Analysis & Sustainment) Program (2025)
IperionX received a U.S. DoW award of US$47.1 million to strengthen the U.S. Defense Industrial Base by accelerating development
of a resilient, low-cost, and fully integrated U.S. mineral-to-metal titanium supply chain.
Under the IBAS program, the DoW allocated US$5 million to accelerate the Titan Critical Minerals Project, funding a Definitive
Feasibility Study to achieve ‘shovel-ready’ status by mid 2026. With all major development permits received, Titan Project stands as a potential near-term, strategic source of rare earths, titanium and zircon critical minerals for the United
States.
The DoW has since obligated multiple tranches of funding under this IBAS award, including US$12.5 million (August 2025), US$25
million (September 2025) in addition to the US$5 million for the Titan Critical Minerals Definitive Feasibility Study.
SBIR Phase III Program (2025)
IperionX was awarded a U.S. Army Phase III SBIR IDIQ contract of up to US$99 million, applicable for procurement‑ready
technologies that U.S. Government agencies can utilize for procurement task orders, on a sole‑source basis without further competition. IperionX’s first U.S. Army task order under the SBIR III has already been issued.
The SBIR program is executed under open competition and routinely applies standards more rigorous than those used in traditional
acquisition programs. Phase I and II agreements focus on the competitive development, testing, and evaluation of commercially relevant technologies. SBIR Phase III represents the program’s most advanced phase. During Phase III, the U.S. Government
transitions into production contracts to facilitate commercialization. Attainment of Phase III status typically signifies that a company has met extensive technical, testing, and competition requirements, secured recurring funding support from U.S.
Government end-users over multiple selection stages, and demonstrated operational or near-operational performance.
OPERATING FOCUS AND NEAR‑TERM PRIORITIES
IperionX reiterates 2026 priorities as previously disclosed.
Virginia: Commission industrial scale titanium production capacity
The Virginia Titanium Manufacturing Campus has completed commissioning, with titanium products advancing through customer
qualification phases. Process and operational enhancements have recently increased projected nameplate capacity from 125 tpa to 200 tpa.
Virginia: Titanium production capacity scale-up to ~1,400 tpa by mid‑2027 (U.S. DoW
co-funded)
The IBAS-funded expansion of IperionX’s Virginia operations to lift nameplate titanium capacity by 7x to ~1,400 tpa by mid-2027 is
now underway. The estimated US$75 million cost of the program is supported by IBAS funding commitments already secured.
Customer programs and revenues
IperionX is actively working on SBIR Phase III task orders for manufactured titanium components, drawing on its integrated powder
metallurgy, forging, and additive manufacturing technology platform to deliver high-performance, low-cost titanium solutions for the U.S. military.
Cost curve and competitiveness
IperionX is advancing a structured process optimization program to continue to drive down projected unit costs and further
increase yields. Current cost targets and timelines remain consistent with prior disclosures.
Titan Critical Minerals Project (Tennessee)
The Titan Definitive Feasibility Study continues to advance with U.S. Government funding support, accelerating work toward
’shovel-ready’ status. Titan Project is positioned as a potential near-term strategic supplier of rare earths (including heavy rare earths), titanium and zircon, supporting U.S. critical mineral security. Progression to development will be
dependent on completion of the DFS, expected by mid-2026, and the arrangement of appropriate project finance.
ADDRESSABLE MARKETS AND PRODUCT SALES STRATEGY
While spherical titanium powder remains a product offering for select customers, IperionX’s largest addressable market and core growth opportunity is
high-performance, near-net-shape and finished titanium components for high-volume end markets such as fasteners, automotive, consumer electronics, and defense.
Leveraging low-cost HAMR titanium powder and advanced HSPT forging technologies, the Company aims to deliver high-value components at materially lower
cost structures. This vertically integrated approach supports competitive U.S. production across the full titanium value chain - from scrap or minerals through to finished titanium parts - addressing growing demand for resilient, sustainable and
domestically sourced titanium.
IperionX has already manufactured and delivered titanium fasteners at the request of U.S. Army leadership. This successful initial deployment provided
third-party validation of both the technical performance and cost advantage of HAMR and HSPT processes, and is driving additional commercial opportunities across the defense, oil & gas, automotive, and aerospace sectors.
SALES CONTRACTS
IperionX has secured multiple commercial agreements for its manufactured titanium products, as set out in the Company’s ASX and SEC disclosures. The
prioritization of each program shifts over time to reflect customer scale, strategic importance, and alignment with U.S. Government funding and capability objectives. Representative agreements include:
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A disclosed Ford program with an expected value of ~US$11 million over 45 months. Automotive production schedules are inherently tied to vehicle platform launch
schedules, so commencement may shift in line with integration milestones and manufacturing ramp-up decisions.
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Production and sale of titanium components for Panerai’s eTitanio Brabus and Submersible GMT Titanio Mike Horn watch collections.
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Production and sale of titanium fasteners to the U.S. Army Ground Vehicle Systems Center for testing and installation on an operational platform.
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In parallel, the Company is advancing a deep commercial pipeline across titanium and critical minerals, encompassing more than 200 NDA-backed
opportunities, over 90 active customer programs, and 22 engagements in final prototyping or commercial negotiation. As a U.S. DoW-supported company, many of these product workstreams are governed by ITAR requirements and therefore receive priority
focus and stringent confidentiality obligations.
During the ramp-up of the Virginia Titanium Manufacturing Campus, a limited number of potential partnerships associated linked to the Titan Critical
Minerals Project were paused. With Titan development now re-initiated and supported by U.S. DoW funding, the Company expects partnerships to advance as the project progresses toward development.
TITANIUM SCRAP FEEDSTOCK STRATEGY
The U.S. titanium supply chain generates substantial volumes of titanium scrap each year, including bulk weldable material, powder, processed turnings
and grindings. A significant proportion of this scrap cannot be efficiently processed by incumbent titanium processors and is instead downcycled to the lower value ferro-titanium market. The bulk weldable material has historically been the
preferred feedstock for the incumbent industry and IperionX generally does not compete for this material. IperionX‘s strategy is to procure and upgrade this underutilized titanium scrap feedstock using its patented technologies.
IperionX’s technologies have been independently validated by multiple third parties, including the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (U.S. Air Force
Research Laboratory Grand Challenge), to deoxygenate and upgrade these titanium scrap feedstocks into high-quality titanium metal products.
This feedstock strategy is already being successfully implemented. IperionX has procured more than 70 metric tons of titanium scrap, now held in
inventory at its Titanium Manufacturing Campus, to support 2026 production requirements. In the medium term, IperionX plans to utilize upgraded titanium mineral feedstocks from the Titan Project to support multi-decade, fully integrated domestic
titanium production.
IPERIONX MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE
IperionX’s Board and management team bring extensive senior-level experience from leading natural resource, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing
organizations. The team has a demonstrated track record in delivering major mineral developments in iron ore, gold, coal, and titanium minerals, as well as in managing complex industrial programs spanning military aircraft production, commercial
aviation platforms, and high-performance materials manufacturing.
IPERIONX OFFICE LOCATION
IperionX established its administrative office in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020. As the Company has expanded, nearly all operations, workforce, and
administrative activities have shifted to the South Boston, Virginia Titanium Manufacturing Campus. The operational address is 1080 Confroy Drive, South Boston, VA 24592, with mail received at 1092 Confroy Drive. IperionX’s physical footprint in
the region totals ~100,000 square feet of secure, IperionX-exclusive titanium production and manufacturing facilities.
FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL REPORTING
IperionX prepares its consolidated financial statements in accordance with Australian accounting standards, ensuring fair presentation of the Company’s
financial position, operating performance, and cash flows. The Company has implemented and maintains effective internal controls over financial reporting, including the appropriate selection and consistent application of accounting policies.
All material reconciling items were identified and included in management’s reconciliations, with necessary adjustments made to the consolidated
financial statements. There were no material unreconciled differences that required further adjustment or reclassification.
RISK FACTORS
IperionX notes the inherent risks and uncertainties in advancing large-scale titanium production and commercialization, as outlined in its annual
report, 20F and other regulatory disclosures to the market. Notwithstanding these factors, the Company continues to advance against its stated strategic objectives and will keep the market informed on any material developments in accordance with
its continuous disclosure obligations.
LIQUIDITY
As set out in the most recent quarterly report, IperionX held US$79.2 million in cash and equivalents as at 30 September 2025.
Beyond this reported cash balance, ~US$43 million has been obligated under U.S. DoW programs and remains available to be drawn upon milestones.
IperionX also has access to over US$97 million of additional funding capacity under its SBIR Phase III contract vehicle, which enables the U.S. Government to issue sole-source task orders for qualifying procurement task orders.
IperionX confirms that it is in compliance with its continuous disclosure obligations under Listing Rule 3.1, including in relation to the status of
contracts, agreements and memoranda of understanding.
This announcement has been authorized for release by the CEO and Managing Director.
For further information and enquiries please contact:
info@iperionx.com
+1 980 237 8900
About IperionX
IperionX is a leading American titanium metal and critical materials company – using patented metal technologies to produce high performance titanium
alloys, from titanium minerals or scrap titanium, at lower energy, cost and carbon emissions.
Our Titan critical minerals project is the largest JORC-compliant mineral resource of titanium, rare earth and zircon minerals sands in the United
States.
IperionX’s titanium metal and critical minerals are essential for advanced U.S. industries including space, aerospace, defense, consumer electronics,
hydrogen, automotive and additive manufacturing.