Tactical Resources is a mineral exploration and development company focused on securing the North American supply chain for rare earth elements (REEs) to support defense, electric vehicles, and high-tech industries. The company develops innovative metallurgical techniques to extract and process these critical minerals. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Tactical Resources CEO Ranjeet Sundher to learn more.
Ranjeet Sundher’s Background
Tell me about your background and what led you to found Tactical Resources? Sundher said:
“I’ve spent more than 25 years developing and financing companies in the mining, resource, and technology sectors. Over the years, I’ve had the chance to commission and develop projects in places like Mongolia, Indonesia, and throughout the America’s — which gave me firsthand insight into how challenging execution can be in those environments.”
“When I turned my focus to rare earths, it became clear there was a massive gap in the West. For decades, critical materials for magnets, defense, and advanced technologies have been almost entirely dependent on China. That imbalance has left the U.S. and its allies vulnerable in areas that are vital to both national security and economic competitiveness.”
“That’s why we established Tactical Resources in Texas — a jurisdiction with the infrastructure, workforce, and supportive regulatory environment needed to build a secure, reliable supply chain for rare earths in North America.”
Pillars
Tactical has a focused business objective. How has the firm’s thesis evolved since inception, and what pillars guide the strategy today? Sundher shared:
“From day one, our thesis was simple: North American assets for North American supply. We built Tactical around three pillars:
- U.S. focus – prioritizing projects located in the United States, with Peak in Texas as our flagship.
- Advanced projects – focusing on assets that can be fast-tracked to production rather than long exploration cycles.
- Clean processing – applying direct-leach technology to reduce carbon footprint, minimize water use, and shorten time to production.
Those principles have held steady, but the market context has accelerated. When we started four years ago, the rare earth cycle was just beginning; today, with AI, electrification, and defense demand surging, our thesis is even more relevant.”
Significant Milestones
What are some of the company’s most significant milestones to date — from operations at the Peak Project to your upcoming NASDAQ listing? Sundher cited:
“A few stand out. We signed our commercial agreement with the Sierra Blanca Quarry, which provides us access to an already permitted, an already built, and already operating mine that is stockpiling rare earth containing materials on site for us to process in the future. Our initial sampling and testing of that material suggests that our Peak Project is one of the few hard rock projects amenable to direct leach extraction, which we believe provides us with a number of capex and opex related strategic advantages. On the corporate side, signing a merger agreement with Plum Acquisition Corp. III was a pivotal step toward our NASDAQ listing. Once complete, it will place Tactical among a very small group of rare earth companies trading on a U.S. exchange — bringing visibility, credibility, and access to capital as we scale.”
Differentiation
How does Tactical differentiate itself from other firms? Sundher noted:
“What makes Tactical different is that we’ve deliberately structured the company to avoid some of the typical risks that can slow or derail rare earth projects. Instead of chasing a long exploration cycle, we focused on assets with existing operations, access to already mined, crushed, screened and stockpiled materials, and a processing approach that simplifies the path to production. That combination allows us to move faster, with lower capital intensity and a smaller environmental footprint than many peers.”
- Feedstock Advantage: We’re leveraging decades’ worth of already mined tailings, which reduces exploration risk.
- Processing innovation: Peak is one of the only rare earth projects globally that lends itself to direct leach — eliminating some of the most energy- and water-intensive steps in traditional processing.
- Location advantage: Operating in Texas gives us ready access to power, water, highways, rail, and a mining-friendly jurisdiction that supports development.
Momentum
With increasing U.S. government support for critical minerals, how do you see Tactical fitting into this momentum? Sundher explained:
“The momentum is real and building. Hardly a week goes by without new government initiatives or funding announcements aimed at building mine-to-magnet capacity here in the U.S. Recent Pentagon support for peers in the sector was an important signal. We’ve already engaged a Washington-based partner to help navigate those channels, and once public, we’ll be in a stronger position to pursue those pathways. Our project directly addresses the national security imperative of reducing reliance on China for materials critical to defense, clean energy, and technology.”
Challenges Faced
What challenges has the company faced in its journey, and how have you addressed them? Sundher acknowledged:
“Like most emerging companies, our challenges have centered on capital, timelines, and awareness. On capital, we’ve worked to structure a NASDAQ listing that broadens our investor base. On timelines, we’ve deliberately pursued a project with near-term optionality — stockpiled tailings that can be processed without years of drilling and exploration. And on awareness, we’ve invested in education — reminding stakeholders that while rare earths are in everything from EVs to fighter jets, the U.S. has been largely absent from production. Each step has been about de-risking while staying true to our pillars.”
Favorite Memory
What is your favorite memory of working at Tactical so far? Sundher reflected:
“One that stands out was the day we first visited the Sierra Blanca Quarry and realized the scale of the potential opportunity. To see decades of stockpiled material that could be potentially repurposed into a domestic rare earth supply chain was energizing. For me, it crystallized that we weren’t just talking about a long-shot exploration project — we had a real, operating site with the potential to make an impact on national security and clean technology supply chains.”
Future For The Company
What does the future hold for Tactical Resources? What’s next for the company and for the Peak Project? Sundher concluded:
“Near term, our focus is on completing the NASDAQ listing, which will enhance visibility and financing options. Operationally, our focus is on the continued development and advancement of our direct-to-leach process, on route to commercialization through deployment of modular, on-site direct-leach processing to convert our stockpiled feedstock into rare earth products suitable for magnet and technology supply chains. Longer term, our vision is to establish Tactical as a leading U.S. producer of rare earth products — contributing to a secure, mine-to-magnet supply chain that supports defense, electrification, and advanced technologies.”
