Army Awards Contract to Build U.S.’s First TNT Plant in Decades

A new munitions plant in Kentucky will restore domestic production of the explosive compound TNT for the first time in nearly four decades, U.S. Army officials announced.

Repkon Contract Worth $400M 

Under the $435 million contract, Repkon USA — the Florida-based U.S. subsidiary of the Turkish defense and aerospace giant — will design and build the new factory in Graham, Kentucky.

Ending Reliance on Overseas Producers

TNT, whose official name is trinitrotoluene, was first deployed in munitions more than a century ago and continues to be used to make the U.S. military’s bombs, grenades, and artillery shells.

But the Pentagon has been reliant entirely on foreign producers of TNT since 1986, when the final domestic TNT manufacturing operation closed down.

Meeting the Need for ‘Critical Munitions’

The announcement is part of a broader initiative to bolster the military’s inventory of “critical munitions.” TNT, in particular, is the primary fill for 155-millimeter artillery shells. U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie, who represents the area in Congress and formerly served as an artillery officer, told reporters that Western nations currently lack the 155-millimeter production capacity of Russia.

About 50 Jobs Expected

The facility is expected to create about 50 jobs, reported the Associated Press. Repkon executives said the plant will ultimately be relied upon for decades.