General Dynamics Opens $110M Munitions Assembly and Packing Plant Near Camden

Officials from the U.S. Army and General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems mark the opening of a munitions assembly and packing plant near Camden on April 22, 2025 (Photo provided by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission)

Go deeper: Even as a new administration stirs up traditional foreign and defense policies, the aerospace and defense industry around Camden is still zooming. Read the story here.

The U.S. Army and General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems Inc., a subsidiary of publicly traded General Dynamics Corp. of St. Petersburg, Florida, have opened a $110 million munitions assembly and packing plant in Calhoun County.

The facility near Camden is expected to create 185 jobs, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission said in a news release.

Once the facility is fully operational, it will produce 50,000 high explosive artillery projectiles per month. Joshua Thompson, president of the General Dynamics subsidiary, said the facility was “purpose-built to integrate new, innovative artillery production and assembly processes.” The facility handles the final stage in production, filling the 155 mm projectiles with explosive material, assembling them with other components and packing the projectiles for shipment.

The facility is part of a coordinated effort by the Army to increase the monthly output of 155 mm artillery projectiles to 100,000 per month. Since 2022, the Army has nearly quadrupled its monthly production of the munition.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said the facility supports the Army’s efforts to boost its war-winning capabilities. “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,” he said in the release.

Demand for 155 mm projectiles surged after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. The Army has partnered with private contractors and domestic defense manufacturers to ramp up production, part of a broader effort to bolster military readiness amid increasing global tensions.

In February, the Army opened a modular metal parts facility in Mesquite, Texas, to support increased production of 155 mm munitions. That facility is also operated by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems.

General Dynamics makes Javelin and Hellfire missiles, among other weapons, at an 880,000-SF facility at the Highland Industrial Park in Calhoun County.