Defense Industrial Base Consortium and Cornerstone

Company Strengthens Relations with the U.S. Government through membership of Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC) and Cornerstone

Guardian Metal Resources plc (LON:GMET, OTCQB:GMTLF), a strategic development and mineral exploration company focused on tungsten in Nevada, USA, is pleased to provide an update on the advancement of the Company's government affairs strategy by announcing that it has become a member of the Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC) and the Cornerstone Program.

The Company was recently awarded $6.2M USD by the United States Department of Defense to be used for continuing work at Pilot Mountain, one of its co-flagship Nevada-based tungsten projects. As Guardian Metal continues to pursue partnership opportunities to strengthen its relationship with the U.S. Government, it has joined these groups as another step forward in its progress.

• The Defense Industrial Base Consortium ("DIBC") has a primary goal to enhance the resilience and responsiveness of the U.S. Defense industrial base. DIBC focuses on identifying, developing, and testing cutting-edge capabilities, while also addressing supply chain issues, critical mineral extraction, and scaling emerging technologies. The consortium provides opportunities for its members to access funding programmes, potential partners, and industry collaborations.
• The Cornerstone Program ("Cornerstone") is a public-private partnership initiative, managed by the U.S. Army that aims to strengthen the U.S. industrial base and improve its competitiveness in support of the Department of Defense (DOD). Cornerstone focuses on developing prototype projects and capabilities to address specific needs within the defence related industrial base, such as improving artillery systems or enhancing the supply chain for critical materials. This directly benefits US armed forces by providing them with advanced equipment and solutions that improve their effectiveness and safety.

Oliver Friesen of Guardian Metals commented:

"In 2025, our partnership with the U.S. Government has advanced significantly, highlighted by our acceptance into critical programmes such as DIBC and Cornerstone. Over the year, we also joined the DARPA-sponsored Critical Minerals Forum and most importantly, secured a DPA Title III award from the United States Department of Defense. Collectively, these milestones underscore the strategic importance of our tungsten projects to U.S. national security, and we look forward to further strengthening our relationship with the U.S. Government in support of these critical objectives."