US effort to restore shell stockpiles stumbles over production failures

The US Army has acknowledged falling short of its plan to significantly increase production of 155mm artillery shells, with output targets missed due to contractor equipment problems.

According to a Pentagon watchdog report released on July 13 and cited by CBS News, a munitions plant in Mesquite, Texas, has failed to produce a single component for 155mm artillery shells despite being operational for two years. The shortfall has hindered efforts to replenish ammunition stocks transferred to Ukraine.

The report stated that the plant had not produced any metal projectile parts that met the specifications outlined in the contract, adding that the Army's expenditure of $469 million to establish the Mesquite facility could have been used to address other Army or Department of Defence priorities. 

As part of military assistance, Ukraine has received more than three million 155mm artillery shells. Over the past four years, the Pentagon’s stockpile of such ammunition has declined by 3.6 million rounds.

To rebuild its reserves, the US Army had planned to increase production from 14,000 to 100,000 shells per month by October 2025 and invested in the construction of the Texas facility to manufacture key shell components.

However, the watchdog report found that by March 2026, production had reached only 36,000 shells per month. One of the main reasons was that the Mesquite plant failed to produce any of the planned 30,000 metal shell components per month.

According to Pentagon projections, output is expected to rise to only 71,000 shells per month by September 2026, reaching just 71% of the original target.

By Jeyhun Aghazada