Industry Watch
US Army Artillery Shell Production Faces Delays
Goal of 100,000 155mm shells monthly by October 2025 now pushed to early 2026
📅
✍️By ZRIntel Editorial Team📍United States (nationwide impact)
The U.S. Army's ambitious plan to significantly ramp up its production of 155-millimeter artillery shells has encountered delays, with the goal of producing 100,000 rounds per month now pushed back to early 2026. This setback was reported on June 19, 2025, highlighting the challenges in scaling up industrial output for critical munitions. While current monthly production has reached approximately 40,000 rounds, nearly tripling the pre-2022 rate of 14,500, it still falls short of the intended pace. The initial targets aimed for 60,000 rounds by October 2024 and 75,000 by April 2025, neither of which were fully met. Major General John Reim, head of the US Army's Joint Armaments and Ammunition Office, attributed these delays to the sheer scale and speed of the necessary investments. The initiative involves the construction of new manufacturing plants and the renovation of dormant facilities, drawing parallels to the industrial mobilization seen during World War II. However, modern challenges include reopening dilapidated production lines and securing new suppliers for critical materials, such as TNT, which has not been produced on U.S. soil since the 1980s. The military has allocated nearly $5 billion in supplemental funding and infrastructure work to support this massive undertaking. Operational factories in Texas, Canada, and Arkansas are currently contributing, with another plant slated for construction in Kansas this summer.