New US plant to bolster artillery shell production in Arkansas
The US Army, alongside General Dynamics, has inaugurated a new factory in Camden, Arkansas, significantly boosting the production of 155 mm artillery ammunition.
According to the portal Defense News, the opening of the plant in Camden, Arkansas, is part of a wider strategy aimed at fortifying the American industrial base for artillery ammunition production. The new facility will handle the filling of cast shell casings with TNT and final processing, along with packaging them in a palletised system.
Opened on 21 April 2025, the facility has two production lines capable of producing approximately 50,000 shells per month, representing substantial production capacity.
Here's what will be produced in Camden — shells on a mass scale
The largest volume is likely to consist of simple M107 shells or their successors, M795, made of a cast steel body filled with either 6.8 kg or 10.9 kg of TNT or mixtures such as Composition B, which combine TNT with hexogen. These shells are equipped with either basic impact fuses, which cause an explosion upon hitting the target, or more advanced ones enabling shell detonation at a height of around 10 metres. Notable representatives include, for instance, the French Ralec.
The maximum range for the M107 and M795 shells, when used in howitzers with a barrel length of 39 calibres like the M777, is about 23 kilometres; for European systems with a gun length of 52 calibres, such as the Caesar, PzH 2000, or AHS Krab, it extends to 31 kilometres.
Also popular will be the slightly pricier M795E1 shells, equipped with a base burner located at the bottom. This generates gases that reduce the base drag of the shell, resulting in an increased range of about 40 kilometres for long-barrelled artillery systems.
Shells for special tasks
The US Army also requires more specialised shells, the volume of which will be lower due to cost. Included in this category are the M549A1 shells, equipped with a rocket booster, providing additional propulsion after the shell leaves the barrel.
This enables targeting at a range of approximately 50–60 kilometres for systems like the AHS Krab. However, the need to fit a rocket engine along with fuel into the shell reduces the TNT weight to about 6.8 kg.
The final category includes the guided M982 Excalibur shells, incorporating GPS guidance to strike targets with an accuracy of a few metres at distances over 50 kilometres. However, they are not an ideal solution. They are costly, potentially reaching €93,600 each, and faced issues with GPS jamming by the Russians until jamming-resistant receivers were implemented.
