Current:Home > MarketsPennsylvania ammo plant boosts production of key artillery shell in Ukraine’s fight against Russia-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Pennsylvania ammo plant boosts production of key artillery shell in Ukraine’s fight against Russia
View Date:2024-12-23 16:20:45
SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania ammunition plant that makes a key artillery shell in Ukraine’s fight against Russia has managed to boost production by 50% to meet surging demand, with more capacity set to come on line.
Government officials revealed the increase in production this week as they showcased the historic factory’s ongoing, $400 million modernization.
The Scranton Army Ammunition Plant cuts and forges 2,000-pound (907-kilogram) bars of steel into 155 mm howitzer rounds that are then shipped to Iowa to be packed with explosives and fitted with fuses. From there, many of them make their way to the fight in Ukraine, where they are highly sought.
The Scranton plant, along with two other ammunition plants in nearby Wilkes-Barre, recently increased production from 24,000 rounds per month to 36,000 rounds per month. Three new production lines are under development that will allow the Scranton facility to churn out even more of the critical munitions, the factory’s top official said.
“Right now we’re concentrating on 155. That’s pretty much all we’re concentrating on,” Richard Hansen, the Army commander’s representative at the plant, said Tuesday while giving news outlets a tour of the sprawling factory grounds near downtown Scranton. “We’re working really hard to ensure that we achieve the goal that the Pentagon has established.”
The U.S. has sent more than 3 million 155 mm artillery rounds to Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in 2022, according to government figures. Earlier this month, the White House announced another $125 million in weapons to assist Ukraine in its military operations against Russia, including 155 mm shells.
The Scranton factory began life as a locomotive repair shop at the beginning of the 20th century before the Army bought it and converted it into a production facility for large-caliber artillery for the Korean War. It’s been operated by General Dynamics since 2006 under contract with the U.S. government, which owns the plant.
Officials are about halfway through one of the biggest modernization projects in plant history, with about 20 projects underway. Tuesday’s tour included a new production line with a sleek new machine that will do the job of three, helping maximize use of space at the 500,000-square-foot (46,452-square-meter) factory.
The plant employs about 300 people, according to a General Dynamics spokesperson. Some of them have been there for decades running the equipment that cuts the steel, heats it to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,093 degrees Celsius), and forges, machines, washes and paints the finished shells. Each round is manually inspected at each step to ensure it meets specifications.
“We want it go where we point it,” Hansen said. “We want it to go as far as we need it to go to do its job. Lives depend on it — the lives of the gun crew, the lives of innocent civilians depend on this round doing exactly what we want it to do out in the field.”
veryGood! (2)
Related
- What that 'Disclaimer' twist says about the misogyny in all of us
- The Bear's Jeremy Allen White Kisses Costar Molly Gordon While Out in Los Angeles
- Takeaways on AP’s story about challenges to forest recovery and replanting after wildfires
- Baltimore longshoremen sue owner and manager of ship that caused the Key Bridge collapse
- South Carolina to take a break from executions for the holidays
- Mother pleads guilty in the death of her 5-year-old son whose body was found in a park
- Six months later, a $1.1 billion Mega Millions jackpot still hasn’t been claimed
- Why Comedian Matt Rife Wants to Buy The Conjuring House
- Taylor Swift's Dad Scott Swift Photobombs Couples Pic With Travis Kelce
- 'Experienced climber' from New York dies after falling up to 400 feet while hiking in Colorado
Ranking
- The results are in: Peanut the Squirrel did not have rabies, county official says
- New judge sets expectations in case against man charged with killing 4 Idaho university students
- Federal government to roll back oversight on Alabama women’s prison after nine years
- University of Wisconsin fires former porn-making chancellor who wanted stay on as a professor
- Kentucky woman seeking abortion files lawsuit over state bans
- FBI agent says 2 officers accepted accountability in fatal beating of Tyre Nichols
- A look inside the indictment accusing New York City’s mayor of taking bribes
- Harris heads to the US-Mexico border to face down criticism of her record
Recommendation
-
Mississippi man charged with shooting 5 people after not being allowed into party
-
Biden approves major disaster declaration for northeastern Vermont for late July flooding
-
Pink denies rumors that she wiped social media accounts after Sean 'Diddy' Combs' arrest
-
Cardi B Unveils One of Her Edgiest Looks Yet Amid Drama With Estranged Husband Offset
-
Lululemon, Disney partner for 34-piece collection and campaign: 'A dream collaboration'
-
'Experienced climber' from New York dies after falling up to 400 feet while hiking in Colorado
-
Maggie Smith, Harry Potter and Downton Abbey Star, Dead at 89
-
NFL bold predictions: Which players, teams will surprise most in Week 4?