Col. Timothy Beckner, Commander, McAlester Army Ammunition Plant (MCAAP), discusses the production of the 250-pound Small Diameter Bomb with General Dynamics-Ordnance Tactical Systems General Manager David Dunavin. Together MCAAP and GD-OTS produce ...

Partnerships in industry are important but none as important to McAlester Army Ammunition Plant (MCAAP) than their partnership with General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, Inc. (GD-OTS) in Garland, Texas which provides the bomb casings that MCAAP fills with explosives. MCAAP is the premier bomb and missile warhead integration producer for the Department of Defense.

Col. Timothy Beckner, commander, MCAAP, along with other MCAAP employees, toured the GD-OTS facilities on Nov. 29. Also in attendance were: Bill Tollett, acting chief of staff; Steve Cox, acting director of engineering and public works and Tommy Buckner, business development.

GD-OTS consists of 38 acres and 37 buildings which encompasses 650,000 square feet and has 274 employees. They have made the MK-80 series of bomb bodies since the Vietnam war which includes bomb casings ranging in size from 250 pounds to 5,000 pounds. In 2011, GD-OTS produced 31,000 bomb casings for the U.S. government.

Another capability GD-OTS has includes forging operations that create precision and conventional forgings for aerospace, ordnance, automotive and industrial applications. In addition they produce bomb fin systems and steel and aluminum sheet metal which are used to repair and retrofit aircraft.

General Manager of GD-OTS Garland Operations, David Dunavin, views MCAAP as an extension of GD-OTS manufacturing process.

"Our product (bomb casings) is not complete without the load, assemble and packing process performed by MCAAP. No other supplier can provide the services of McAAP or produce U.S. certified bombs, which is what most international customers seek," he said.

Dunavin went on to say that their partnership with MCAAP has allowed them to increase direct commercial sales to international customers by providing product in 12 months or less, helping to offset the declining U.S. bomb demand. The increase in international sales helps preserve critical competencies at GD-OTS Garland and McAAP, he said.

Beckner said that General Dynamics-OTS is a vital partner in part of what MCAAP does which is load and pack munitions into bomb casings and bombs are vital to the survival of our warfighters in combat.

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