The construction start follows a 2025 U.S. Army contract awarded to MSM North America to design, build and commission the facility, with a potential value of up to $635 million. The new government-owned, contractor-operated site will replace an aging production line that has supported the Army for more than 50 years.
Once completed, the facility is designed to produce up to 36,000 loaded 155mm artillery projectiles per month. CSG said the site will become the world’s most modern explosive loading facility for 155mm artillery ammunition and a key part of the Army’s effort to expand the U.S. munitions industrial base.
“Breaking ground on the Future Artillery Complex is much more than the start of construction of a new production facility. It demonstrates what can be achieved when the U.S. Army and industry work together with a shared commitment to strengthening allied defence capabilities. We are proud that MSM North America and CSG have become trusted partners in this strategically important program, contributing decades of ammunition manufacturing experience to help build capabilities that will serve the United States and its allies for many years to come,” said Michal Strnad, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of CSG.
The Iowa project comes as the United States works to raise artillery ammunition output and rebuild production capacity for long-term demand. Maj. Brian K. Schwartzkopf of the U.S. Army’s Joint Program Executive Office Armaments & Ammunition said the facility is tied directly to the Army’s broader production target.
“This facility, combined with other modernization efforts across the United States, helps us achieve the Army’s goal of producing 100,000 155mm rounds per month. It’s a critical part of securing that capability for the future.”
Schwartzkopf said the investment is intended to provide a durable production base rather than a short-term capacity increase. “We’re securing a sustainable, lethal capability for decades to come. My great-great-grandkids could be firing rounds produced from this facility.”
The Army official also pointed to the speed of the programme, with construction beginning less than a year after the contract award. “The collaboration between the U.S. Army and MSM has allowed us to execute this project at a pace that’s rarely seen. We’re breaking ground in less than twelve months from contract award.”
For CSG, the project expands a U.S. industrial footprint that already includes more than 4,000 employees, primarily through The Kinetic Group, one of America’s major small-caliber ammunition manufacturers. The Future Artillery Complex is expected to create about 70 highly skilled jobs at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant while supporting further growth at MSM North America.
CSG has also established CSG Land Systems North America to represent Excalibur Army, Tatra Defence and Tatra Trucks in the U.S. market. The company said those businesses support its wider strategy in artillery systems, tactical vehicles, land platforms and ammunition manufacturing.
Jason W. Gaines, Chief Executive Officer of MSM North America, said the facility is being built around long-term production sustainability. “In order for this capability to be sustainable for the next 50 years, this new, modern Future Artillery Complex had to come to fruition.”
Gaines said automation will be used selectively where it improves safety, efficiency and output quality. “We’re not introducing automation for the sake of automation. We’re introducing it where it makes sense – improving safety, increasing efficiency, and delivering a consistent product.”
He said the programme also reflects a different model for industrial execution between the Army, contractors and suppliers. “This team of Army, industry, and partners has set a new standard for how modernization projects are executed – from design through construction and commissioning.”
MSM North America will serve as prime contractor and project integrator, coordinating design, construction and implementation with the U.S. Army and a network of American industrial partners. The project will also draw engineering support from CSG’s European ammunition facilities.
CSG said it is one of Europe’s leading producers of medium- and large-caliber ammunition, with vertical integration from energetic materials and components to complete ammunition systems. At the end of the first quarter of 2026, the group’s annualized in-house production capacity for large-caliber artillery and tank ammunition exceeded 800,000 rounds.
The company expects that capacity to rise to about 850,000 rounds per year during 2026. It said the experience from its European ammunition operations will support the Iowa project as the U.S. facility moves through construction, commissioning and testing.
Construction is expected to be completed within about 40 months. Full commissioning and First Article Acceptance Testing are scheduled within 48 months of the contract award.
The Future Artillery Complex is scheduled to enter operation in 2029. CSG said the facility is being designed as a long-term strategic asset for the United States, combining advanced automation, modern safety standards and scalable production to support future requirements of the U.S. Army and its allies.
