US artillery plant in Texas fails to produce 155mm rounds after $469 M investment

A Pentagon inspector‑general report found that the General Dynamics‑run artillery plant in Mesquite, Texas, built in May 2024, has not produced a single metal projectile part for 155 mm artillery rounds in the two years since it opened. The $469 million facility was intended to help the Army raise monthly production from 14,000 to 100,000 rounds by October 2025, supplying roughly 29 % of the needed ammunition. As of March 2026 the plant produced none of the 30,000 parts it was contracted to deliver each month, leaving overall output at about 36,000 rounds per month—far short of the target. With only three U.S. facilities able to make the required parts, the Defense Department projects it will reach only 71,000 rounds per month (71 % of the goal) by September 2026. The shortfall comes as the Army’s 155 mm stockpile has fallen by 3.6 million rounds over four years, most of which were sent to Ukraine, with additional rounds used for training and foreign sales. The report noted the Army accepted risk by relying on untested equipment, halted work in August 2025, and now expects additional GDOTS investment to complete the project.