The U.S. Army allocated $469 million to a new ammunition plant in Mesquite, Texas, aiming for a capacity of 30,000 155 mm shells per month, yet the facility has not turned out a single round as of March 2026.
Fast‑tracked in 2022‑23 to replenish shells sent to Ukraine and support U.S. training, the contract was awarded to General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, the long‑time operator of the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant. The inspector general found the contractor attempted to repurpose older equipment built for the obsolete M107 round, a high‑risk strategy that failed to meet quality standards for the newer M795 shells.
In August 2025 the Pentagon ordered the plant to halt production and spending, a pause that remained in effect through April 2026. With the Mesquite line stalled, the Army continues to rely on existing assembly plants in Iowa, Arkansas and Kansas, which together can produce about 140,000 rounds annually—well short of the original goal of 100,000 per month. Lawmakers were warned that the nearly half‑billion‑dollar investment could have been redirected to other defense priorities.
