Arkansas’ federal congressional delegation has submitted two letters to Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth to support expansion of vanadium production in the U.S. in order to counter the current effective control of vanadium supply chains by Russia and China.

In two separate letters to Hegseth, Arkansas Sens. Tom Cotton (R) and John Boozman (R) and Arkansas Reps. Bruce Westerman (R-4) and French Hill (R-2) urged Hegseth to direct the National Defense Stockpile to purchase and store at least one year’s supply of vanadium in order to better insulate the U.S. military and commercial manufacturers from potential supply chain disruptions because of Russia’s and China’s control of 75 percent of global vanadium supply chains. U.S. Reps. Troy Balderson (R-OH), Rich McCormick (R-GA), Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Randy Weber (R-TX) also joined in urging action.

Arkansas-based U.S. Vanadium is the leading producer of high-purity vanadium oxide in the U.S. It praised the Arkansas delegation for promoting more domestic production of vanadium, which is a U.S. government-designated critical mineral.

“We applaud the strong leadership of Senators Cotton and Boozman and Congressmen Westerman and Hill for alerting the Pentagon and the Trump Administration to the strategic vanadium vulnerability facing the U.S., and to take action to mitigate this threat by stockpiling vanadium and encouraging greater domestic production of this strategic material,” said US Vanadium Executive Chairman Mark Smith in a statement. “We also greatly appreciate the continuing strong support provided to our company by the entire Arkansas congressional delegation and for their ongoing efforts to support economic growth and job creation in Arkansas.”

The Arkansas senators wrote: “Vanadium is an official USGS critical mineral required for ballistic missiles, jet engines and airframes, night vision, armor steel, body armor, combat vehicles, and other weapons systems critical to national defense. China and Russia control 75% of the global vanadium supply, leaving the Department of Defense open to significant disruption in its weapons supply chain.

“Vanadium compounds such as high purity vanadium pentoxide and ferrovanadium are critical to applications where steel and titanium are used, meaning they are a key element of US defense and essential civilian technologies. The United States consumed 14,000 metric tons of vanadium in 2024, with domestic production only accounting for 3,800 metric tons. The United States imports high purity vanadium pentoxide from Brazil and South Africa, but market conditions threaten those supply chains. Ferrovanadium supply chains rely on material converted in-part from Russian and Chinese material. Currently, no substitute materials exist.

“The United States risks being left without viable resources of this critical mineral if the Department and Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) do not take decisive action. We request DLA immediately begin to stockpile at least one year of military and essential civilian uses of both ferrovanadium and aerospace grade vanadium pentoxide in the National Defense Stockpile (NDS). We also request the Department work with the rest of the United States government to prioritize domestic production of vanadium compounds, to include reviewing environmental and other regulations that stifle domestic production.”

The congressmen reiterated the need for action on vanadium: “When President Trump addressed the joint session of Congress on March 4, 2025, the President reiterated his support of dramatically expanding production of critical minerals and rare earth elements in America. Therefore, we ask your office to direct the DLA [Defense Logistics Agency] to stockpile at least one year of military and essential civilian uses of ferrovanadium and aerospace grade vanadium pentoxide. As our country reviews critical supply chains that are central to our competitiveness in the face of rising global threats, we urge you to consider the importance of vanadium and the concerning global supply chain of the industry.”

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Top Arkansas football recruits enroll at new schools

OL – Evan Goodwin – Bauxite 

RB – TJ Hodges – Bryant 

DL – Anthony Kennedy Jr. – Little Rock Central 

LB – Jackson Redman – Robinson 

LB – Jakore Smith – Bryant 

• Fland averaged 13.5 points and 5.1 assists as a freshman at Arkansas despite missing time with a thumb injury.
• Florida’s coaching staff believes Fland can play alongside incoming transfer point guard Xavian Lee.
• A substantial NIL deal reportedly influenced Fland’s decision to join the Gators.

Florida basketball landed another impact piece to its backcourt, as former five-star recruit Boogie Fland committed to the Florida Gators on May 20.

The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Fland withdrew his name from the NBA Draft last week and visited UF’s campus on May 19-20. He entered the transfer portal after averaging 13.5 points and 5.1 assists in his freshman season at Arkansas.

Fland shot 37.9% from the field and 34% from 3-point range in his freshman year at Arkansas, but missed significant time during the SEC schedule last season with a thumb injury.

A combo guard out of Archbishop Stepinac High in White Plains, N.Y., Fland was the 22nd-rated overall player and third-rated point guard in the Class of 2024 before signing to play for John Calipari and the Razorbacks. Now Fland will play under Florida coach Todd Golden, who guided UF to a 36-4 record in 2024-25 and its third national title in school history in April.

“Boogie is a winner,” said Pat Massaroni, Fland’s former high school at Archbishop Stepinac. “Boogie won a lot here. Boogie’s won a lot in his basketball career. At 6-2, 6-3, he’s a dynamic guard who can really score the ball. He can be a pass-first point guard. He rebounds really well for his size. And obviously he has to continue to shoot the ball at a higher clip, in Todd’s system, which is going to be important. I think the biggest thing is continue to transform his game in that system, will be key.”

How Boogie Fland fits with Florida basketball

Fland completes a Florida backcourt makeover, as UF has signed Princeton transfer point guard Xaivian Lee and Ohio shooting guard A.J. Brown to help replace the production lost from losing All-American guard Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard to eligibility and combo guard Denzel Aberdeen to the transfer portal (Kentucky).

Massaroni admitted he had some questions about how Fland would fit playing with Lee at the same time.

“Todd and his staff feel they can play together both on an off the ball,” Massaroni said. “Both are scoring guards, both are dynamic in that regard and be interchangeable and obviously they’ve returned some pieces here and have one more in (Alex) Condon that can really make them explosive across the board, especially with the size and length.”

Fland’s thumb injury, Massaroni said, impacted his shooting at the start of SEC play, but credited him for coming back in March after a 10-week absence to help the Razorbacks make a run to the Sweet 16. Massaroni said Fland is back to 100% after the thumb injury.

“I got to see him to his predraft workouts in mid-May and April,” Massaroni said. “He looked like a different player. His body looked great. His conditioning looked great. And look, he had some late-first-round opportunities that I think were on the table, but I think he wants to prove that he can be a Top 15 pick. Todd and his staff and those guys feel the same way.”

A hefty Name, Image and Likeness deal, which CBSSports.com’s Matt Norlander is reporting was north of $2 million, played into Fland’s decision to commit to the Gators. But so did UF’s facilities and the chance for Fland to improve his draft stock on a winning team.

“Florida’s resources, their facilities, you know Boogie’s gotta transform his body and he’s gotta be more efficient at the rim,” Massaroni said. “I think both of those things, in Todd’s system, could allow for that.”

Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1. Read his coverage of the Gators’ national championship basketball season in “CHOMP-IONS!” — a hardcover coffee-table collector’s book from The Sun. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com

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