Despu\u00e9s de a\u00f1os de abastecerse de Trinitrotolueno (TNT) a trav\u00e9s de proveedores externos en pa\u00edses aliados, el US ARMY ha resuelto disponer de capacidades propias a nivel local, instalando una moderna planta de producci\u00f3n de ese insumo cr\u00edtico para la carga explosiva de municiones de todo tipo. Para ello se adjudic\u00f3 un contrato de US$ 425 millones, a la empresa REPKON USA-DEFENSE LLC, para el dise\u00f1o y construcci\u00f3n de una planta de TNT en Kentucky. Este contrato tiene por objetivo restablecer la producci\u00f3n a gran escala de TNT en EEUU, que se hab\u00eda perdido hace d\u00e9cadas. Es adem\u00e1s, un gran paso adelante en la recuperaci\u00f3n de la Base Industrial de Defensa (BID) de ese pa\u00eds.<\/p>\n
After\u00a0sourcing all of its TNT from overseas allies,<\/a>\u00a0the U.S. Army has taken a step forward to begin producing the explosive material domestically by awarding a contract to REPKON USA-Defense LLC to design and build a new production facility in Graham, Kentucky.<\/p>\n The contract has a ceiling of $425 million, according to a service statement, but does not provide a construction timeline.<\/p>\n \u201cThis award will reestablish TNT production swiftly and at scale on U.S. soil for the first time in decades,\u201d the statement added.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a major step forward in\u00a0rebuilding our industrial base\u00a0<\/a>and ensuring we have the critical capabilities to support our warfighters,\u201d Doug Bush, Army acquisition chief, said in the statement. \u201cReshoring 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.\u201d<\/p>\n The Army has spent several years since the start of the war in Ukraine working to diversify its supplier base for 155mm artillery shells. Production previously relied on critical components from single sources across the supply chain.<\/p>\n Bush told Defense News earlier this fall that the service was racing toward a goal of shoring up all major single source that provide parts or materials for\u00a0155mm munitions by the end of 2025<\/a>\u00a0and said to expect a \u201ca lot of ribbon cuttings\u201d between now and the end of the year.<\/p>\n The U.S. has not produced TNT domestically for decades and was considering possible locations to produce it to include Radford Army Ammunition Plant in Virginia, Bush told Defense News in a previous interview. He said at the time that once a contract was in place, the plan was to build it in 48 months.<\/p>\n \u201cThis new state-of-the-art facility is essential to the [Joint Program Executive Office for [Armaments and Ammunition]\u2019s mission to develop, procure and field safe, reliable and lethal munitions to our joint warfighters and international partners,\u201d Maj. Gen. John Reim, head of JPEO A&A, said. \u201cThis project will also further strengthen our defense industrial base, enabling munitions production at speed and scale.\u201d<\/p>\n