General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (OTS), a business unit of General Dynamics, and The Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition (JPEO A&A) hosted an opening ceremony for a new, advanced artillery projectile metal parts facility in Mesquite, Texas on Wednesday, May 29. The modern, scalable production facility features high levels of automation and innovative manufacturing processes with the use of Universal Artillery Projectile Lines (UAPL). These projectile lines will produce 155mm artillery metal parts and offer the flexibility to manufacture a variety of projectile metal parts ranging in calibers from 60mm to 155mm. The facility will be operated by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, will feature high-volume production capabilities for large-caliber metal parts and is equipped with long-stroke, high-tonnage forging capabilities.
“This Universal Artillery Projectile Line facility was designed and purpose-built to integrate new, innovative manufacturing processes to provide a resilient and enduring industrial capability for our warfighters,” said Firat Gezen, President of General Dynamics OTS. “This project is a testament to what partnership across the Department of Defense, U.S. Army, Congress, Industry, and the local community can accomplish when working together to achieve a common mission and support national security. We are grateful for the U.S. Army, our JPEO A&A teammates, our equipment supplier REPKON, Swinerton, numerous trade partners, and the GD-OTS employees who have worked diligently to make this significant occasion a reality.”
The UAPL is part of the Army’s modernization plan to bring the industrial base into the 21st century. Current and future Army readiness requires modernization efforts that leverage new technologies, advanced manufacturing equipment and processes, and surge capabilities to enable production at scale. These efforts will significantly strengthen U.S. munition production capabilities and will serve as a credible deterrent to adversaries. Funding for the UAPL stems from the fiscal 2022 and 2023 congressional supplementals and reprogramming of funds within the Defense Department. Under a package of contracts awarded by the Army worth $576 million, GD-OTS designed and constructed the facility, to include the procurement, transportation, installation and commissioning. Upon completion, the Army will assume ownership of the capital equipment, subsequently leasing it back to GD-OTS through a government-furnished materiel agreement.
General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (OTS) is a global leader in the design, engineering and production of munitions, energetics, weapons, armaments, and missile subsystems around the world. OTS empowers the U.S. military and its allies with an extensive range of overarching product segments applied across all levels of strategic and tactical operations, providing a cutting-edge advantage to our warfighters. General Dynamics is a global aerospace and defense company that offers a broad portfolio of products and services in business aviation; ship construction and repair; land combat vehicles, weapons systems, and munitions; and technology products and services. General Dynamics employs more than 100,000 people worldwide and generated $42.3 billion in revenue in 2023.
