(Congressional Agenda) – An ammunition plant located in the state of Pennsylvania is kicking their production of a key artillery shell used by Ukraine in the war against Russia into high gear, in order to try and keep up with demand from the Pentagon. Production has increased by 50 percent and it seems that number is going to surge in the coming days, weeks, and months, according to The Western Journal.
Officials inside the government revealed the increase in ammo production this week as they have been showcasing the factory’s current $400 million modernization. The Scranton Army Ammunition Plant is responsible for cutting and forging massive two-ton bars of steel into 155 mm howitzer rounds, which then get shipped to Iowa where they are stuffed full of explosives and fitted with fuses. After this part of the process is complete, the shells are sent to Ukraine.
“The Scranton plant, along with two other ammunition plants in nearby Wilkes-Barre, recently increased production from 24,000 rounds per month to 36,000 rounds per month. Three new production lines are under development that will allow the Scranton facility to churn out even more of the critical munitions, the factory’s top official said,” the report divulged.
“Right now we’re concentrating on 155. That’s pretty much all we’re concentrating on,” Richard Hansen, the Army commander’s representative at the plant, stated in comments on Tuesday while giving the press a tour of the large factory grounds, which are located near downtown Scranton. “We’re working really hard to ensure that we achieve the goal that the Pentagon has established.”
“The U.S. has sent more than 3 million 155 mm artillery rounds to Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in 2022, according to government figures. Earlier this month, the White House announced another $125 million in weapons to assist Ukraine in its military operations against Russia, including 155 mm shells. The Scranton factory began life as a locomotive repair shop at the beginning of the 20th century before the Army bought it and converted it into a production facility for large-caliber artillery for the Korean War. It has been operated by General Dynamics since 2006 under contract with the U.S. government, which owns the plant,” the article explained.
Officials have reached the halfway point in what is being hailed as one of the biggest modernization projects in the history of the plant, with 20 projects currently being worked on at this very moment. The tour on Tuesday also included a look at a brand new production line that features a cutting-edge machine that will end up performing the tasks of three individuals, while also helping to maximize available space.
The company currently has a staff of 300 workers, as per information given by a General Dynamics spokesperson. Some of these folks have put in decades of service running all of the specialized equipment that cuts the steel, heats it up and forges it into the shells. Each round the company produces is inspected at every step in the process to make sure it meets the necessary specifications.
“We want it to go where we point it,” Hansen explained. “We want it to go as far as we need it to go to do its job. Lives depend on it — the lives of the gun crew, the lives of innocent civilians depend on this round doing exactly what we want it to do out in the field.”
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