New US Army artillery factory boosts 155mm munitions production
The UAPL facility will help meet growing demand for 155mm shells. (Photo: US Marine Corps)
The Universal Artillery Projectile Lines (UAPL) facility will be capable of high-volume production capabilities for large-calibre metal parts and operated by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems.
The US Army has inaugurated a a new artillery factory which will boost production of 155mm munitions and also have the flexibility to produce a variety of metal parts ranging from 60mm to 155mm.
Funding for the UAPL came from FY22 and FY23 congressional supplementals and reprogramming of funds within the the US Department of Defense.
Under a package of contracts awarded by the US Army worth US$576 million, General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS) designed and constructed the facility which will facilitate procurement, transportation, installation and commissioning.
Upon completion, the US Army will assume ownership of the capital equipment, subsequently leasing it back to GD-OTS through a government-furnished materiel agreement.
The US Army said: “The facility’s 155mm metal parts production lines also meet US Army modernisation goals by incorporating high levels of automation, modern manufacturing practices and digital-data-capture ability.”
Christine Wormuth, secretary of the US Army, claimed: “This plant is an important example of how we are modernising our World War II-era organic industrial base. The US Army is spending more than a billion dollars every year to make these critical improvements.”
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