Army Breaks Ground on New Ammo Plant to Produce Millions of 6.8mm Rounds

With the groundbreaking of a new 6.8mm production plant at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, Missouri, the U.S. Army has taken a big step toward making millions of rounds of its newest ammunition. 

The building will serve the Army's Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) program by providing ammunition for both the XM5 rifle and the XM250 automatic rifle. It should be finished by 2026 and fully operational by 2028.

Lake City has been a major source of small arms ammunition for a long time. They used to focus on 5.56mm, 7.62mm, and.50-caliber rounds. The 6.8mm round, which is lighter and more accurate than the 7.62mm, is the start of a new era in ammunition creation. 

Olin Winchester will run the 450,000-square-foot building, which will have high-tech tools for making cartridge cases, projectiles, and quality control.

Sig Sauer currently makes 6.8mm rounds for the NGSW, but the new plant will give the Army its own production line, so it will not have to rely on private companies as much. The project will likely create jobs in the Kansas City area, with 90% of the work coming from local businesses. 

Army officials say that this expansion makes it easier for the country to give troops the latest weapons. This builds on Lake City's long history of making military ammunition.

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