INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- Lt. Gen. Larry Wyche, deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army Materiel Command, came away impressed from his tour of the small arms ammunition production facility here, Feb. 29.
It was during his last visit to Lake City Army Ammunition Plant on July 14, 2010, as the commanding general of the Joint Munitions Command, accompanying Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, that decisions were made to modernize the facility and improve the quality of the work environment.
"Team Lake City is a strategic asset to the Army and the Department of Defense," said Wyche following the recent visit. "I am extremely impressed by the modernization efforts and facility improvements that have occurred since my last visit. Lake City is a first-class workforce that provides tremendous and critical support to the warfighter."
The recent visit began with a combined Lake City Army Ammunition Plant and Project Manager-Maneuver Ammunition Systems briefing. The PM-MAS presentation covered the strategy being used for small arms procurement and an overview of current and future small-caliber requirements.
Lt. Col. Shane Upton, LCAAP commander, said a $434 million modernization program was completed here in 2015 that addressed safety, manufacturing and infrastructure at the installation.
He also talked about Orbital ATK Small-Caliber Systems' capital investment at the plant as a significant factor in its selection as the operating contractor under the new contract that began Oct. 1, 2013. Upton said the contractor had already invested $50 million in the first three delivery orders, with the potential to reach as much as $115 million, dependent on government orders and the award-term process, through the life of the contract.
The remainder of the visit was devoted to touring the facilities. Much of the tour focused on the newly-renovated, 20 mm caliber load, assemble and pack operation, and the large heating, ventilation and air conditioning project that is ongoing.
It was during Wyche's previous visit that the decision was made to install a new HVAC system. The $97 million project that will be completed in the fall of 2018 will protect state-of-the-art-equipment investment, enhance manufacturing process stability, facilitate the manufacture of better munitions for the nation's warfighters and improve comfort for the workforce, said Upton.
In addition, Wyche was shown new manufacturing equipment for .50 caliber and 7.62 mm ammunition, including the state of the art robotic .50 caliber packing line.
Lt. Col. Todd Masternak, project manager for small-caliber ammunition, Project Manager-Maneuver Ammunition Systems, Program Executive Office for Ammunition, Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., also took part in the visit.
"Lt. Gen. Wyche was extremely impressed with the modernization of Lake City and the partnership that has developed between PM-MAS, our LCAAP staff and Orbital ATK Small Caliber Systems," Upton said. "It was a great opportunity to showcase how that synergy contributes to the readiness of our nation's warfighters."
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LCAAP is one of 14 installations of the Joint Munitions Command and one of 23 organic industrial base facilities under the U.S. Army Materiel Command.
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