That old military axiom is more true today than ever: “There is no problem that cannot be solved with the suitable application of high explosives.” The challenging part of that exercise, at times, is getting that explosive to where it should be – in the immediate vicinity of the bad guys.
We have equipment that is designed for just that purpose. It’s called field artillery. We have some of the best artillery in the world, but the problem in recent years has been ammo. All the equipment and the most highly-trained men in the world won’t win a war if they don’t have ammo, but the Trump administration has made ammo a priority. On Wednesday, we learned that the U.S. Army has approved the construction of a new artillery ammo factory at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant in Middletown, Iowa.
The Army is launching a massive new artillery ammo factory in the heart of the Midwest, Axios reported on Wednesday.
The Future Artillery Complex is set to go up at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant, aiming to produce approximately 36,000 shells a month, according to Axios. MSM Group North America, a U.S.-based defense manufacturer under the Czechoslovak Group, will spearhead the facility’s construction with a $635 million contract.
“Our principle objective is to expand the depth of the industrial base, particularly ammunition,” MSM Group CEO Jason Gaines told Axios. “The companies we have partnered with are all extremely capable in their respective fields.”
It’s not clear when the plant will be up and running, but the clock’s a-ticking, as we’re still supplying a lot of 155mm artillery shells to Ukraine:
The Army wants to increase production of 155mm artillery shells to 100,000 units a month, a munition frequently supplied to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in 2022. The Army has sent well over 3 million of the shells to Kiev since the invasion began.
Some defense experts have warned that continuing to send munitions to Ukraine could drain U.S. stockpiles to unsafe levels, with similar concerns prompting a brief pause on missile shipments to Ukraine in July.
That’s a valid concern, especially since we need to have artillery ammo ourselves; we may not be (directly) involved in a major war at the moment, but the cannon guys need their training time, too, and the best training is shooting.
Read More: How Does One Make an M1 Tank More Awesome? Put a Minigun on It!
America’s Military Is Low on Ammo – Here’s What’s Being Done About It
In the U.S. military, there’s a good reason that the field artillery is called the “King of Battle.” Since the advent of modern artillery, the big guns have been by far the #1 un-aliver of enemy soldiers; the best way to win a conventional ground battle is to have artillery, and plenty of it. The Soviets proved that in World War 2, where they typically shot everything but the kitchen sink at the Germans. For artillery to be any good, you need shells. Modern militaries, of course, have missiles, they have drones, they have all manner of high-tech. But those are expensive; shells are cheap, and the big guns can keep putting steel on target all day at a fraction of the cost of those drones or missiles. A heavy barrage often makes enemy soldiers feel maladjusted, and that’s understandable; it’s hard to stay composed when the whole world is exploding around you.
So, we’re going to rapidly ramp up our production of 155mm shells, and that’s a good thing. It’s good for our military, it’s good for Ukraine, and it’s even good for the people of Middletown, Iowa, who will gain some good-paying jobs out of this.
And remember: No war was ever lost because the losing side had too much ammo.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s leadership, the warrior ethos is coming back to America’s military.
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