Army signs $900M contract for 155mm shell forging capacity
The five-year indefinite-delivery contract goes to a consortium led by General Dynamics OTS and underwrites two new forging presses in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre.
The US Army awarded a five-year, $900 million indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity contract to expand domestic 155mm shell forging capacity. The award went to a consortium led by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems and explicitly underwrites two new forging presses in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
The new presses target a combined output of roughly 120,000 rounds per month once fully ramped in 2027, on top of the baseline capacity already operated under the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant. The Pentagon has publicly said it wants to reach 100,000 monthly by late 2025 and 150,000 monthly by 2027.
Industry observers said the award is the clearest signal yet that the DoD intends to keep 155mm capacity at elevated levels for the long term, regardless of short-term shifts in Ukraine aid policy. The contract includes mandatory buy-back provisions that de-risk the forging investment for the consortium.
Written by
Dana Whitfield
Aerospace and defense supply chain reporter. Previously at Aviation Week Network.
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