[hooch]

From a companion article: "For instance, an F-35 contains more than 900 pounds of REEs, an Arleigh Burke–class DDG-51 destroyer requires approximately 5,200 pounds, and a Virginia-class submarine uses about 9,200 pounds."

[refurb]

That’s just a reporter who hasn’t done their research.

Rare earth are used as additives to things like iron and other metals.

I’ll bet the reporter saw “9,200 pounds of rare earth alloys” and decided “alloys” is too confusing and dropped it.