The Naval Industrial Reserve Ordnance Plant at ABL operates in partnership with the U.S. Navy. The complex produces many of the tactical solid rocket motors used across U.S. missile programmes.
These motors provide propulsion for weapons requiring precision, range and lethality. ABL’s production role has grown from its origins during the Second World War to support current U.S. military requirements.
Northrop Grumman has invested millions of dollars in expanding and modernising the site since 2018. That work includes Plant 4, a 113,000-square-foot modular missile integration facility built to increase production speed and scale.
The facility uses automation and data-driven process controls across its manufacturing operations. Northrop Grumman said it would increase capacity by 300 strike missiles annually while reducing lead times and strengthening quality assurance.
The company’s wider $2 billion munitions investment also targets the production of 155mm artillery ammunition. One project is developing new manufacturing methods for ductile iron shell bodies to replace parts of the conventional casting process.
Northrop Grumman said the techniques could support production of up to 150,000 rounds a year at a lower unit cost. The company presented the work as an effort to remove production constraints and increase output.
ABL is also involved in the Accelerated Development of Advanced Propulsion Technology programme. The initiative uses additive manufacturing, advanced materials and alternative suppliers to shorten lead times for rocket-motor components.
The propulsion work is being conducted alongside the Solid Motor Annual Rocket Technology Demonstrator programme. Northrop Grumman said the two efforts were intended to simplify manufacturing and produce more capable and efficient motor designs.
Northrop Grumman employs more than 1,700 people at ABL and works with over 35 suppliers linked to the site. The company said its activities support more than 4,500 jobs across West Virginia and generate over $1.5 billion in economic activity.
The company has nearly 100,000 employees and operates more than 30 million square feet of manufacturing space. Its investments cover U.S. infrastructure, research and development, workforce capacity and domestic supply chains.
