An artillery plant has opened in Mesquite that will produce 155mm shells for the U.S. military. General Dynamics operates the plant on 250,000 square feet near 635 and Highway 80.
The shells will be produced in Mesquite and then assembled and loaded at General Dynamics plants in Iowa and Arkansas.
U.S. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth says the plant could produce 100,000 rounds by the end of this year.
"I think with that kind of production rate, you're going to see us able to not only continue assisting Ukraine but also replenish our own stockpiles," she says.
Wormuth says the plant uses more automation than older plants, which will improve worker safety and the weapons' precision. In turn, she says the artillery produced by General Dynamics is making a better product for the same price.
Wormuth says that value will help the U.S. work with Ukraine while also protecting its own national security.
"Putin will not stop unless he is stopped," she says. "If we allow Putin to just invade a country in an unprovoked manner, our security here in the United States could be threatened."
"Let me just recall the words of Admiral Mullen when he was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff maybe ten years ago," says Senator John Cornyn. "He said the biggest threat to our national security is the debt. The truth is the reason the United States is the preeminent superpower in the world is because we have the economy to be able to pay for it."
Cornyn says adversaries will try to take advantage of any perception of weakness.
"We can do this, it's just a matter of will," he says. "The great thing about a democracy like ours is we have the capacity to course-correct."
General Dynamics says the plant will create 400 jobs.
"Our residents don't have to drive to Dallas, don't have to drive to other parts of the Metroplex," says Mesquite Mayor Daniel Aleman. "They can find work right here in the City of Mesquite and work at a top-level company."
Wormuth says the plant will use more automation than older facilities, but she says that will also create higher-paying jobs.
"To be able to maintain that advanced manufacturing equipment, we will need very highly skilled people with engineering backgrounds," she says.
Cornyn says, "Texas is a great place to do business," but he says Congress has a responsibility to make sure funding is passed. Earlier this year, Congress passed supplemental funding that included aid for Ukraine and Israel after months of delay.
"What companies like General Dynamics need is predictable funding so they can make investments in plants like this that are state of the art," he says.
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