The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) launched the Aerial and Geological Geophysical Mapping Program of the DRC (PC2G-RDC) on October 5, 2026, under the leadership of President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo. The program is managed by the National Geological Service of Congo (SGN-C), which operates under the Ministry of Mines, and is funded by the Mining Fund for Future Generations (FOMIN). The Spanish company Xcalibur Multiphysics Group SL is responsible for executing the program. Its goal is to enhance understanding of the country's underground resources, guide mineral exploration efforts, reduce uncertainties, and improve the government's ability to make decisions based on accurate scientific data. The program will last three years and will use eight aircraft to gather magnetic, radiometric, gravimetric, and electromagnetic data. These operations will gradually cover several regions, including Central Kongo, Kwango, Kwilu, Grand Kasaï, and Grand Katanga. The data collected will be analyzed and supplemented with field geological studies. A key part of the program focuses on training Congolese geologists, researchers, technicians, and students to build local expertise in geology and mineral exploration. The Minister of Mines, Louis Watum Kabamba, described the campaign as a strategic investment to reduce the risks and costs associated with exploring the country's territory. He said, "We are investing today in knowledge to reduce tomorrow the cost, risk and time necessary for exploration." The PC2G-RDC is part of a broader national strategy to use scientific knowledge as a tool for economic transformation and the responsible exploitation of natural resources. The DRC is rich in minerals, with over fifty types identified, including copper, cobalt, gold, zinc, diamond, coltan, and uranium. According to the Independent Expert on the Extractive Industries (ITIE) 2025 report, extractive industries accounted for nearly 30% of public revenues, 99.57% of exports, and almost 38% of the country's GDP in 2023. The program was launched as the DRC continues to face conflict in the East of the country, a region known for its deposits of gold and coltan. The United Nations has reported that the illegal mining and trade of certain minerals are often linked to the activities of armed groups in this area. Improving geological knowledge of the territory could help the government better plan and manage its mineral resources. This aligns with broader governance challenges as Kinshasa seeks to better understand and utilize its mineral wealth. The PC2G-RDC was launched several months after the Ministry of Mines signed a new contract with Xcalibur Multiphysics Group SL on January 29, 2026. This agreement, worth $297.87 million, covers phase B of a program that began in 2017. The first phase of the program cost $60.96 million, bringing the total budget for the entire initiative to approximately $358.8 million.