Army awards contract to build new TNT production facility in Kentucky

After sourcing all of its TNT from abroad allies, the U.S. Military has taken a step ahead to start producing the explosive materials domestically by awarding a contract to REPKON USA-Protection LLC to design and construct a brand new manufacturing facility in Graham, Kentucky.

The contract has a ceiling of $425 million, in line with a service assertion, however doesn’t present a development timeline.

“This award will reestablish TNT manufacturing swiftly and at scale on U.S. soil for the primary time in many years,” the assertion added.

“It is a main step ahead in rebuilding our industrial base and making certain we’ve the essential capabilities to assist our warfighters,” Doug Bush, Military acquisition chief, stated within the assertion. “Reshoring TNT manufacturing offers us the flexibility to regulate and safe our provide chain for this important part, particularly in an period of accelerating international challenges.”

The Military has spent a number of years for the reason that begin of the warfare in Ukraine working to diversify its provider base for 155mm artillery shells. Manufacturing beforehand relied on essential elements from single sources throughout the provision chain.

Bush informed Protection Information earlier this fall that the service was racing towards a aim of shoring up all main single supply that present components or supplies for 155mm munitions by the tip of 2025 and stated to anticipate a “a whole lot of ribbon cuttings” between now and the tip of the yr.

The U.S. has not produced TNT domestically for many years and was contemplating doable places to supply it to incorporate Radford Military Ammunition Plant in Virginia, Bush informed Protection Information in a earlier interview. He stated on the time that when a contract was in place, the plan was to construct it in 48 months.

“This new state-of-the-art facility is crucial to the [Joint Program Executive Office for [Armaments and Ammunition]’s mission to develop, procure and area protected, dependable and deadly munitions to our joint warfighters and worldwide companions,” Maj. Gen. John Reim, head of JPEO A&A, stated. “This undertaking can even additional strengthen our protection industrial base, enabling munitions manufacturing at velocity and scale.”