ProPublica reported that the U.S. Army paid General Dynamics $533 million for an artillery factory that did not produce a single usable shell. The outlet said the money went toward a Texas plant meant to make 155 mm artillery shell bodies for Ukraine. Former workers told reporter Jesse Coburn that the machines often failed in unusual ways.
Twelve former factory workers told ProPublica that giant robot arms caught fire and that a signature device often cracked the steel meant for the shells. Workers said they regularly used a sledgehammer on certain machines to try to get them working. They said the machines still botched nearly every shell.
A former official who worked in an Army office overseeing the project described the effort as an “absolute disaster.” The official, like others interviewed, spoke on the condition of anonymity. ProPublica also described a dumpster fire at the site as part of the problems at the plant.
Former workers described fires, cracked steel, and machines that needed sledgehammers
In a statement to ProPublica, the Army said it exercises “rigorous oversight.” The service said that “where vendors fail to meet contract specifications” – as at the General Dynamics artillery factory – “we are evaluating contract performance, seeking recoupment of funds, and pivoting resources.”
General Dynamics declined an interview request. The company has said it “met or exceeded requirements,” according to a Department of Defense inspector general report. A company spokesperson told ProPublica that its reporting “fundamentally mischaracterizes the circumstances” but did not specify alleged errors.
Coburn interviewed 36 people who had worked for the Army, the Pentagon, General Dynamics, and the White House. He also reviewed internal company documents, as well as photos and videos from inside the factory.
ProPublica reported that after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the Biden administration moved quickly to boost production of artillery shells. At that time, General Dynamics was the only company producing the 155 mm metal shell bodies in the United States, mainly at a century-old facility in Pennsylvania.
The company could have copied the older manufacturing method used at that plant. Instead, General Dynamics proposed a production line from Repkon, a Turkish firm that ProPublica described as virtually unknown in American defense.
Repkon said other countries were already using its machinery to build an older, simpler model of the shells. It was unclear whether the equipment could work with the steel used in the Army’s newer 155 mm shells. Repkon said the Army and General Dynamics could not inspect full production lines in action, citing customer privacy. Repkon did not respond to requests for comment.
The Department of Defense did not competitively bid the project, ProPublica reported. A former Army official told Coburn, “there was incredible pressure to go fast.”
In November 2022, the Army awarded General Dynamics the first in a series of contracts. Congress later granted the Defense Department authority to award funds for Ukraine-related work without certain usual contracting safeguards. That allowed no-bid awards and let the company start work before final contract terms were set.
The United States ordered three Repkon production lines instead of one without knowing for certain whether they could make shells that met Army specifications. The Army said it selected General Dynamics because of the company’s unique artillery production experience.
Both the Army and General Dynamics sent staffers to Turkey to inspect the machines. Four former General Dynamics and Army officials told ProPublica they never inspected a full production line in action and did not send enough experts to spot potential defects.
The Army also did not require General Dynamics to show it could complete the entire process and make shells that met specifications. The Army said, “formal testing could not occur prior to full machinery installation.”
In 2024, leaders from the Army and General Dynamics gathered in Texas to mark the factory’s opening. ProPublica reported the machines were barely functioning at that time. The Army later underwent other senior personnel changes after leaders fired the Army chief of staff.
Workers told Coburn that machines meant to give the shells smooth noses instead mangled them into swirls that looked like soft-serve ice cream. They said robotic arms tended to swing out of control and smash into equipment. Workers talked about the arms going “rogue.” Sometimes a machine appeared to move on its own while being controlled remotely from Turkey, they said.
Workers said smoke hung in the air and temperatures rose to desert-like levels when furnaces or forging presses ran. They said walls cracked, water flooded in when it rained, and the foundation of the buildings appeared to be shifting or sinking. As work stalled, some American workers speculated that Turkish employees from Repkon might be sabotaging the machinery.
One former worker told ProPublica, “It was astonishing how little progress we would make, month after month, year after year.” The worker added, “People started speculating, ‘I wonder if they’re spying on us.’” The Army said it has no evidence of sabotage or spying.
General Dynamics failed to meet several milestones, including scheduled first article tests that would have shown the factory could produce shells meeting Army requirements, ProPublica reported. The Army has not required the company to repay the money. The service said it will recover funding through unspecified discounts from General Dynamics on production orders.
In August 2025, the Army halted work on two of the three production lines. It did not unilaterally terminate the contract awards. In December 2025, the government paid the company $26.3 million in progress payments for two lines that had never made a usable shell. The Army said it will not spend any more money on the plant.
The service has also been slashing training to make ends meet. Since the partial halt last summer, the same General Dynamics unit has won other contract awards worth $2.5 billion, according to the Army. The service said those awards were for “distinct production lines and critical national defense requirements” unrelated to the Texas factory.
General Dynamics has announced it will work with another little-known partner and use artificial intelligence as its next approach.
Published: Aug 31, 2026 12:00 pm