The U.S. Army, in partnership with General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, opened a new load, assemble, and pack facility this week. The facility aims to strengthen the production of high-explosive 155 mm artillery projectiles.
The new facility, which opened Tuesday in Camden, Arkansas, is the final stage in the production of artillery projectiles. At LAP facilities, munitions are filled with explosive material before being combined with other components and shipped.
The new Camden facility adds two LAP lines of production and is expected to produce around 50,000 new high-explosive projectiles a month, when fully operational, the Army said.
“The Army must transform and get war-winning capabilities into the hands of soldiers now, including key munitions. The Camden load, assembly, and pack munitions facility is just one of several modernization investments the Army is making to reinforce and strengthen our defense industrial base,” said Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll.
The facility will likely help the U.S. Army reach its 2025 goal of producing 100,000 projectiles a month. Responding to global threats, the U.S. has rapidly expanded its production of high-explosive shells over the past three years.
“The Army remains committed to delivering relevant munitions at speed and scale to our soldiers, the joint force, and allies and partners,” Mr. Driscoll said. “It is not lost on us that a key component of victory on the battlefield starts in our production facilities.”
The opening of the Camden facility follows the introduction of a similar production base in Mesquite, Texas, which made the metal casings for artillery projectiles.
The facilities are part of a broader effort to shore up domestic munitions manufacturing in the face of growing demand from allies. According to reports, the Ukrainian army fired upwards of 8,000 155 mm high-explosive projectiles a day last year in its war against Russia. However, estimates suggest that U.S. domestic production of the projectiles stood below 50,000 per month last year.
