The facility is part of the Army’s wider modernisation of the organic industrial base, which produces ammunition for all U.S. military services and allied partners. It will incorporate 21st century manufacturing technology to provide a scalable, flexible and cost-effective explosive load, assemble and pack capability for 155mm artillery production.
Using lean manufacturing principles and integrated system controls, the new complex will combine robotics and automation to enhance operator safety and product consistency. It is designed to switch between products with minimal downtime and to operate efficiently at both peak and reduced capacity.
“Modernizing the industrial base and replacing critical munition stockpiles are high priorities for the Defense Department, projects like the FAC are geared to improve the Army’s ability to scale production between surge and down times while also providing flexible capacity to produce future go-to-war rounds,” said Maj. Gen. John T. Reim, Joint Program Executive Officer Armaments & Ammunition and Commanding General at Picatinny Arsenal.
“When the Army realized the need to modernize our production capabilities, Congress allocated $5 billion to add capacity and bring the defense industrial base into the 21st century. The FAC represents much-needed new technology investments to modernize the Arsenal of Democracy in order to meet the evolving demands of the warfighter in 2025 and beyond,” he added.
Most of the nation’s munitions facilities were built during the Second World War and still operate much as they did 80 years ago. The Army’s acquisition enterprise, led by JPEO A&A, is overseeing multiple modernisation projects to increase capacity and reduce single source risks across the industrial base.
“Standing up state-of-the-art facilities like the FAC is essential to JPEO A&A’s mission to provide lethal munitions to our Joint Warfighters and international partners,” said Reim. “It is not lost on us that victory on the battlefield starts in our production facilities. The FAC will enable munitions production at speed and scale thereby increasing Army readiness and Warfighter lethality.”
Source: U.S. Army.
