General Dynamics’ New 155-Millimeter Shell Factory Opens As War Cycle Kicks Into Higher Gear

General Dynamics’ new 155-millimeter artillery shell factory in Mesquite, Texas, is set to produce 30,000 shells per month, according to a New York Times report. This will provide crucial support to the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the first and second lines and bring the US Army closer to its 100,000 shell target goal by 2025. However, this goal remains far behind Russia’s current 155mm shell production capacity of 250,000 rounds per month.

On Wednesday, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters the new Mesquite shell factory “will significantly increase our country’s ability to manufacture parts that are used to produce artillery ammunition.”

Kirby said construction at the Mesquite factory began last year with funds allotted by the $95 billion security supplemental passed by Congress last month “to stand up new production lines as part of a national effort to significantly increase the number of artillery shells that we produce every month.”

At full capacity, the factory will produce 30,000 155mm shells a month. The latest data from NATO’s secretary-general showed that Ukraine fires between 4,000 and 7,000 shells per day. The West is currently depleting 155mm stockpiles, along with other crucial weapons. 

Shell factories in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, currently produce about 36,000 155mm shells per month. Once the Mesquite plant reaches its full capacity of 30,000 shells per month, the US Army will be closer to achieving its goal of 100,000 shells per month by 2025. 

The Biden administration’s disastrous foreign policies have resulted in a chaotic world. From Eastern Europe to the Middle East, these conflicts, some of which are broadening, have resulted in the US dangerously depleting weapon and ammunition stockpiles.

To correct this, the US and other Western nations have been ramping up defense spending as the war cycle kicks into a higher gear. This has sparked a bull market in defense stocks, as there is no end in sight to conflicts resolving this year.