Lattice Materials gains $18.5 M contract from U.S. Dept. of War

05 Jan 2026

Defense investment intended to “strengthen supply chain for optical technologies”.

Lattice Materials, a Montana-based manufacturer specializing in custom-grown silicon and germanium crystals and part of The Partner Companies (TPC), has received an $18.5 million award from the U.S. Department of War (DoW) to strengthen the U.S. supply chain for germanium and silicon. As one of a few U.S.-based germanium and silicon crystal growers and lens manufacturers, Lattice supplies infrared optical lenses, windows and mirrors made from these materials destined for numerous defense optics systems.

This investment is intended to supports U.S. security priorities by strengthening domestic supply chains for critical optical components used in defense applications that protect warfighters and mission-critical platforms using airborne sensors, thermal targeting systems, thermal weapon sights, missile guidance systems and other electro-optical/infrared (EOIR) applications, states Lattice.

The company says it will use DoW funds to increase its capacity to produce “optical-grade germanium and silicon crystals, as well as establish the capability to produce germanium metal from recycled materials.”

‘Strengthening domestic supply chains’

Travis Wood, president of Lattice, commented, “We have seen unprecedented demand for U.S.-made solutions across the industries we serve, especially within aerospace and defense. The DoW’s investment in expanding production capacity will help strengthen domestic supply chains and ensure that the advanced technologies our components enable are available when and where they are needed.”

With China’s germanium export restrictions increasing the need for domestic germanium and silicon production, the DoW’s Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy is investing in suppliers like Lattice to mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities and scale U.S. germanium and silicon production.

Scott Bekemeyer, founder and co-chairman of TPC, commented, “This is a major step forward for U.S. domestic defense manufacturing, and we look forward to leveraging this investment to advance our leadership as a partner in developing germanium and silicon optical solutions securely and effectively.

Bekemeyer added, “A trusted and proven producer of engineered germanium and silicon solutions is imperative in the development of critical systems for those on the front lines. With countries like China limiting their germanium exports, Lattice and TPC have an opportunity to expand germanium solutions for the defense industry with absolute confidence.”

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, germanium stands as one of the 50 critical minerals essential for America’s economic development and defense, states the Lattice announcement, “yet few companies possess the specialized expertise to produce it domestically,” and it adds, “This metalloid is trusted for its durability, superior optical properties, temperature stability and protective conductivity that shields sensitive electronics from electromagnetic interference.”

Lattice claims three decades of expertise in the specialized Czochralski crystal growth process, custom-growing germanium and silicon crystals to exact specifications that defense systems demand. Lattice engineers grow crystals to optimal diameters, with unique orientations and custom electrical resistivity tailored to each application.

“Optics are a pacing item for major weapons platforms across all the military Services,” commented Jeffrey Frankston, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Resilience, which oversees the Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) directorate. “Alleviating bottlenecks in our germanium supply chain will have an outsized impact on readiness,” he said.