Army Awards Contract for First Domestic TNT Production in 38 Years

[rangerrebew]

Army Awards Contract for First Domestic TNT Production in 38 Years
12/19/2024
By Allyson Park   
 

ARLINGTON, Virginia —The Army recently awarded a contract to Repkon USA for the design, construction and operation of a trinitrotoluene, or TNT, production facility in Graham, Kentucky, which will be the first to domestically produce the explosive since 1986.

TNT is an essential component for numerous munition types, including being the primary fill for 155mm artillery rounds. The United States’ current supply chain is heavily reliant on overseas sources, and establishing a domestic production capability “reduces reliance on foreign sources, thereby enhancing national security,” an Army official told National Defense via email.

“This is a major step forward in rebuilding our industrial base and ensuring we have the critical capabilities to support our warfighters,” Doug Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, said in a statement. “Reshoring TNT production gives us the ability to control and secure our supply chain for this vital component, especially in an era of increasing global challenges.”

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2024/12/19/army-awards-contract-for-first-domestic-tnt-production-in-38-years

[Wingnut]

I wonder who were those "foreign sources" that supplied the TNT previously?

[Timber Rattler]

I wonder who were those "foreign sources" that supplied the TNT previously?

The U.S. imports TNT from Poland, Turkey, South Korea, Australia, and India. Other major producers of TNT include China and Russia, however due to current geopolitical conflicts, the U.S. does not currently import TNT from either of these countries.

https://ime.org/aws/IME/asset_manager/get_file/908266?ver=1#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20imports%20TNT%20from,from%20either%20of%20these%20countries.

Note also:

TNT was manufactured in the U.S. until 1986, when the Radford Army Ammunition Plant located in Virginia, ceased manufacturing the product because “environmental regulations became increasingly more stringent and costly to implement.”

[Wingnut]

The U.S. imports TNT from Poland, Turkey, South Korea, Australia, and India. Other major producers of TNT include China and Russia, however due to current geopolitical conflicts, the U.S. does not currently import TNT from either of these countries.

https://ime.org/aws/IME/asset_manager/get_file/908266?ver=1#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20imports%20TNT%20from,from%20either%20of%20these%20countries.

Note also:

TNT was manufactured in the U.S. until 1986, when the Radford Army Ammunition Plant located in Virginia, ceased manufacturing the product because “environmental regulations became increasingly more stringent and costly to implement.”

Thanks for the info.  Figures the Government's EPA ruined an intrical business providing for national defense.

[Timber Rattler]

Thanks for the info.  Figures the Government's EPA ruined an intrical business providing for national defense.

It's an EPA specialty.

[PeteS in CA]

Existing thread, https://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,546416.0.html