The U.S. Army, in collaboration with General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, opened a new load, assemble and pack, or LAP, facility in Camden, Arkansas, on April 22.
Boosting Critical Artillery Production
The new LAP facility is intended to bolster the production of 155 mm high-explosive artillery projectiles, the Army said Tuesday. This aligns with the service branch’s efforts to bolster its production capacity, with the goal of producing 100,000 155 mm artillery projectiles a month. The modern projectile loading facility has two new LAP lines expected to manufacture 50,000 high-explosive projectiles monthly.
The Camden facility will be utilized for the final stage of the critical artillery production. During this stage, the 155 mm metal projectile bodies will be filled with explosive materials and assembled with other parts before they are packed for delivery.
The new facility is also meant to revitalize the defense industrial base and enhance readiness to reinforce deterrence. It is equipped with advanced automation, digital quality tracking and other technological capabilities to boost consistency and production rate. In addition, the LAP facility is fitted with a modern air-cooling system for explosive curing to minimize water usage compared to existing cooling methods.
“The Camden load, assembly, and pack munitions facility is just one of several modernization investments the Army is making to reinforce and strengthen our defense industrial base,” said Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll.
The Army and General Dynamics also worked together to open production facilities in Mesquite, Texas and Marion, Illinois, in 2024.
Potomac Officers Club presents the 2025 Army Summit on June 18. Register and join Army officials, government leaders and industry trailblazers as they discuss the service branch’s most urgent priorities and challenges.
Related Articles
The Senate on Saturday voted 59-35 to confirm Sean Cairncross, a former Republican National Committee official, as the next national cyber director. With his confirmation, Cairncross succeeds Harry Coker as head of the White House Office of the National Cyber Director. In this capacity, he will serve as the principal adviser to the U.S. president on cybersecurity strategy and policy in relation to the coordination of information security and data protection; efforts to deter malicious cyber activity; and programs and policies meant to improve the U.S. cybersecurity posture, among others. In February, President Donald Trump nominated Cairncross to the role.
Edward Forst has been nominated by President Donald Trump as the next administrator of the General Services Administration, succeeding Robin Carnahan, who resigned in January after serving for nearly four years. The White House announced the nomination on Sunday. Who Is Edward Forst? Forst is a seasoned executive and investor with vast experience in the global financial services and real estate industries. He most recently served as chairman of London-based private equity firm Lion Capital for three years. He was also the CEO of Cushman & Wakefield from 2013 to 2015. He spent 17 years at Goldman Sachs serving various senior executive
The Senate voted on Thursday 53-44 to confirm Matthew Kozma as the new undersecretary of the Department of Homeland Security for intelligence and analysis. In his role, Kozma would manage the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, which detects and addresses domestic and international threats, cyber risks and evolving national security issues, Homeland Security Today reported. He will lead the intelligence efforts to ensure the sharing of threat information between federal, state and local agencies. Find out more about the challenges and opportunities of the agency at the Potomac Officers Club 2025 Homeland Security Summit on November 12. Get insights into