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The plant, managed by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical
Systems, is part of a broader effort by the Army to update its
industrial base and achieve a goal of making 155mm artillery
shells at a rate of 100,000 a month.
Demand for 155mm artillery rounds has soared in the wake of the
invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But allies' supplies for
their own defense have been run down as they have rushed shells
to Kyiv, which fires thousands of rounds per day.
Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth highlighted the
importance of the facility, noting the plant's role in enhancing
national defense by increasing production. "The work done in
these production facilities contributes directly to our nation's
defense and makes us stronger," Wormuth stated at the opening
ceremony.
The more than $500 million facility was funded through
supplemental spending bills from fiscal 2022 and 2023 and
features advanced manufacturing technologies and automation for
producing large-caliber metal parts. It is designed to flexibly
produce various munitions sizes with minimal adjustments, to
facilitate the Army's modernization goals.
Upon completion, the Army will own the capital equipment and
lease it back to General Dynamics.
(Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Matthew
Lewis)
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