Defense Metals Corp DEFN:TSXV - News AlertDefense Metals Announces Pilot-Scale Flotation Test Program for Wicheeda Rare Earth Project VANCOUVER, BC VANCOUVER, BC , Feb. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Defense Metals Corp . (" Defense Metals " or the "Company") (TSXV: DEFN) (OTCQB: DFMTF) (FSE: 35D), a company focused on the development of the Wicheeda Rare Earth Project (" Wicheeda Project "), located near Prince George, British Columbia , Canada, is pleased to announce that it has appointed SGS Canada Inc. ("SGS") to undertake a comprehensive 30-tonne pilot-scale flotation testing program on two newly-prepared drill core composite samples from the Wicheeda deposit.
The Company's metallurgical program is designed to further advance process flowsheet development and support future engineering studies for the Wicheeda Project . The program includes the preparation and testing of two composite samples, consisting of representative drill core material for Years 1 – 5 of the proposed operation and Year 6 onwards. Importantly, the pilot plant operation will generate about 1.5 tonnes of flotation concentrate which will be used in a hydrometallurgical pilot plant to be undertaken later this year. The total estimated cost of the pilot flotation program is approximately CAD$1 million .
"We have been steadily releasing work packages which form the foundation for progressing our 2025 pre-feasibility study (refer to Company News Release April 7th, 2025 ) to a feasibility stage," said Mark Tory , CEO of Defense Metals . "Having already accele rated our field work and environmental baseline programs, we are pleased to announce this comprehensive pilot-scale flotation testing program as the next major step towards the development of the Wicheeda project as Canada's first large scale REE critical minerals producer."
SGS was selected based on its experience and reputation as the benchmark for quality and integrity in the collaborative design and execution of a pilot plant of this type. The program will be managed on behalf of Defense Metals by chief metallurgical consultant Mr. John Goode , P.Eng . Mr. Goode has an extensive career in the design, monitoring, and interpretation of beneficiation and hydrometallurgical test-work and has over 60 years of experience as a metallurgist working on numerous rare earth projects located in Canada , Brazil, USA , China , Australia , Russia , and elsewhere.
"This program represents a significant step toward the de-risking and optimisation of the metallurgical processing route for the Wicheeda Project ," noted Mr. Goode . "It will generate additional data required for the feasibility study and produce the high-grade flotation concentrate feed for the planned hydrometallurgical pilot plant."
The Company will provide further updates as the test program is finalized and progresses.
Grant of Incentive Stock Options
The Company also announces the grant of 7,375,000 incentive stock options ("Options") to directors, officers and consultants of the Company, subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. Options are exercisable for the purchase of one common share of the Company for three years at a price of C$0.28 per common share.