EXTREME MAKEOVER
READY TO GOCO
Government-owned, contractor-operated (GOCO) Army ammunition plants serve a vital role in producing ammu- nition for the U.S. armed forces. Energetic and inert materiel components are produced at these plants, which also carry out the final assembly of complete rounds, such as artillery, bombs and small caliber ammunition. To assure the readiness of the joint force, it is neces- sary to modernize these valuable components of the defense industrial base. In addition to producing currently used ammunition items, the Army must also plan for the future, ensuring that the plants will be ready to support production of ammunition items now in development and testing.
The Army’s Production Base Support (PBS) program funds modernization improvements, recapitalization projects and plant sustainment operations. The Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammuni- tion (JPEO A&A) is designated as the Single Manager for Conventional Ammunition Executor, and it works with the military services, ammunition program manag- ers and plant operators to identify plant requirements and prioritize modernization projects. Prioritizing uses a numerical scoring framework, including weighted criteria and considerations such as: 1) criticality of the require- ment (including the facility’s condition); 2) guidance from DOD leadership and Congress; and 3) a facility’s ability and capacity to execute the work.
The weighted criteria aim to address key objectives like improving safety and environmental compliance, ensur- ing operational continuity, reducing plant operating costs and improving the quality of the work environment. Other key considerations include improving operating effective- ness; increasing efficiencies and, whenever possible, incorporating automation and robotic-type technologies, especially to restructure and upgrade hazardous opera- tions that have historically been done by hand. Immediate safety and environmental compliance issues are consid- ered “must-fund" projects and are prioritized above all others. Project ranking is a critical process to ensure that PBS funding is used in the most efficient way possible.
Following are the Army ammunition plants and current modernization initiatives.
Holston Army Ammunition Plant
Location: Kingsport, Tennessee Contractor: BAE Systems
Key facts: Established in 1942, Holston Army Ammu- nition Plant covers 6,000 acres and employs 23 Army civilians. Holston is the major supplier of explosive mate- rials to DOD. The facility has state-of-the-art equipment and capabilities for nitration chemistry, acid handling and recovery, and other chemical-processing operations.
Current significant projects funded through the PBS: Ongoing efforts to expand the capacity of explosives production. Expansion efforts include constructing new and upgrading existing production facilities, as well as the necessary expansion and upgrades to support infra- structure across the facility.
Radford Army Ammunition Plant
Location: Radford, Virginia Contractor: BAE Systems
Key facts: Established in 1941, Radford Army Ammuni- tion Plant covers 6,901 acres and employs one military member and 22 Army civilians. Radford manufactures a wide variety of propellants and propellant ingredients used in rocket manufacturing, and is a major supplier of propellants and energetics for DOD, providing over 5 million pounds of propellant and energetics in 2020 alone.
Current significant projects funded through PBS: Construction of a new nitrocellulose production facility. Nitrocellulose is a critical ingredient used in all propel- lant production.
Lake City Army Ammunition Plant
Location: Independence, Missouri Contractor: Olin Winchester
Key facts: Established in 1941, Lake City Army Ammuni- tion Plant covers 3,935 acres and employs one military member, 29 Army civilians and one JPEO A&A on-site civil- ian. Lake City, a main supplier of DOD small and medium caliber ammunition, produces over 1 billion small caliber rounds per year.
Current significant projects funded through PBS: Efforts are ongoing to improve the quality of the plant work
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Army AL&T Magazine
Summer 2021
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