US put nearly $500M into critical artillary plant that still hasnt produced a single round: watchdog

An artillery plant that the US spent $469 million on has failed to produce any of the critical 155mm rounds America needs in the two years since it was built, according to a Pentagon watchdog report.General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GDOTS) opened the plant in Mesquite, Texas, in May 2024 as part of a government contract to refill America’s ammunition that was sent to Ukraine.

The plant, however, has not produced any metal projectile parts outlined in the contract, putting at risk America’s ability to meet its 155mm production goal, the Defense Department inspector general found.The US has depleted its 155m artillery reserves by 3.6 million rounds over the past four years, the vast majority of which went to the Ukraine to help fend off Russia’s invasion in 2022, according to the report.The depletion led the US Army to invest in artillery production plants, with General Dynamic tapped to build the Mesquite facility to help boost overall 155m production to 100,000 rounds a month by Oct.2025.But between May 2024 and March 2026, the plant failed to produce any of the 30,000 projectile metal parts it was suppose to put out monthly, according to the report.

General Dynamics did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.

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Never miss a story.The Mesquite plant was supposed to be responsible for about 29% of the needed ammunition, with the lack of production from the plant dealing a major blow to America’s 155mm stockpile.“With only three facilities producing the required projectile metal parts, the DoW will reach only 71,000 rounds per month, or 71 percent of its monthly production capacity goal for 155-mm artillery rounds,” the report concluded.

The report comes as fears continue to grow that America’s stockpil...