08/19/2025
Us folks at Arrowhead Motel are excited and proud to hear of the new construction at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant in Middletown. We are always here to welcome extended stay contractors and laborers wishing to stay with us at weekly and monthly rates. New Line Production Coming to IAAAP
The Iowa Army Ammunition Plant is expected to have a new production line by summer 2029.
The U.S. Army Contracting Command at Rock Island, Ill., signed a $635.2 million contract with MSM Group North America on Friday for a new production line at the Middletown plant.
The U.S. Department of Defense has announced the expansion on its website.
The contract will result in the design and construction of a new production line for 155mm artillery ammunition at the IAAAP.
The contract includes provisions for adjustments based on economic conditions. MSM Group was the sole electronic bidder for the project.
The new line will cover the entire process of projectile manufacture, shell loading, and final packaging, ensuring a modernized and expanded capacity for the plant. According to the agreement, the work is expected to be completed by Aug. 10 of 2029.
The IAAP, a government-owned, contractor-operated facility currently run by American Ordnance LLC, is already a cornerstone of the U.S. munitions base. It produces a wide array of critical armaments, including 155mm artillery shells, 120mm tank rounds, 60mm, 81mm, and 120mm mortar rounds, as well as warheads for TOW-2, Hellfire, Javelin, Stinger, and Sidewinder missiles. The plant also manufactures hand grenades, engineering charges, ceremonial ammunition, and test munitions.
The U.S. Department of Defense has already announced ambitious plans to increase the monthly output of 155mm shells several-fold this year, investing billions in modernizing production lines and collaborating with both domestic and allied defense industries.
A Series of Expansions
The recently announced line expansion is just the latest addition to the IAAAP plant. An artillery complex and tank line (direction fire munitions campus) will be constructed in the next few years.
Justine Barati, chief of public and congressional affairs for Joint Munitions Command, said the artillery complex should be finished in fiscal year 2026 and 2027. Barati said the complex has a heavy focus on automation and safety. The line will load, assemble and pack explosives into artillery.
"The line is anticipated to be highly automated and will isolate people from energetic mass. The new line will also have additional melt pour processes to ensure graceful degradation, resilient operations, and maximize flexibility," Barati said.
The tank line is in the pre-design stage right now, and phase one of construction on that line should be complete by fiscal year 2027. It too is focused on improved safety through automation.
"The intent is to remove the operator from handling heavy and dangerous tank rounds by automating the process and removing the operator from the energetic mass. The line will load, assemble, and pack explosives into tank rounds," Barati said.
The plant has several other modernization projects in the works through 2029, including a new tool and die facility, roadway improvements and an energetics facility.
