According to The New York Times, the facility will manufacture approximately 30,000 shells per month, essential for Ukraine's defense needs.
Last year, the Pentagon set a goal to produce 100,000 shells per month by the end of 2025. Currently, plants in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, together produce about 36,000 shells per month.
The new General Dynamics facility in Mesquite aims to produce 30,000 shells per month once it reaches full capacity. The $500 million-plus facility, funded through fiscal years 2022 and 2023, features advanced manufacturing technology and automation for producing large-caliber metal parts. It is expected to create around 350 jobs when fully operational next year.
Pentagon procurement official William Laplante stated that the US has provided Kyiv with more than three million 155mm shells since the start of the full-scale war.
Despite Ukraine resuming its own production of artillery ammunition, the country's Defense Forces still heavily rely on supplies from partner countries to meet their substantial needs.
