PICATINNY ARSENAL, NEW JERSEY - Agreements Officer Christina Malafatopoulos and Agreements Specialist Gina Cuiffo of the Combat Ammunition Division at Army Contracting Command – New Jersey visited the Metallus, Inc. plant in Canton, Ohio on June 27 as a culmination of the award of a prototype Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) for increased production of High Fragmentation (HF-1) Steel.
Awarded on February 27, 2024, the OTA is unique in that it is the first government agreement or contract ever made to Metallus, Inc. as a prime contractor. Metallus, Inc. produces HF-1 steel, a raw material used in the production of 155mm artillery metal parts. Metallus, Inc., as a non-traditional defense contractor, is typically a subcontractor to the 155mm artillery metal parts prime contractors. These metal parts are common among the M795, M1128, and XM113. Utilizing the authority to use an OTA for Prototype Projects created a vehicle for the government to purchase an HF-1 Steel capacity increase.
“This has been both a unique and challenging endeavor,” said Malafatopoulos. “The steel itself is under contract with the prime contractors, but the goal of this OTA is to support current demand of artillery shell production by increasing the HF-1 Steel capacity from 1,500 tons to 6,720 tons per month. This is important because HF-1 Steel is a critical piece of the completed round, and without it there is potential for a significant production backlog in which we wouldn’t be able to support the Army’s current goal of producing 100,000 155mm rounds per month.”
During the visit, the ACC-NJ team was privy to an exclusive tour of the facility, to include witnessing steelmaking operations in action—from melting, casting, and rolling at the Faircrest Steel Plant to heat treatment at the Gambrinus Steel Plant.
Cuiffo, an ACC-NJ apprentice on her first opportunity of this kind, expressed her appreciation for the experience. “I have written documents to describe [Metallus, Inc.’s] processes many times, but to see what they do firsthand was enlightening! The team gave us a tour of the facilities, which was like its own city comprised of several different sites, all with different but equally important functions. In today's work environment, we are so used to talking to people via Teams, email, or calls, but it was great to meet the Metallus, Inc. team face-to-face, get a background of their company and its origins, and see how much pride they take in what they have created. It was a great opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the USG [U.S. government]
, the customer, and the contractor teams.”
155mm ammunition has been one of the most prevalent rounds being sent to Ukraine for use in defense against Russia. As a result, the government has been ramping up production of the rounds to continue to have a supply for Ukraine, as well as replenish U.S. Army stockpiles.
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