Photo By Adrienne Brown | The group, including Under Secretary of the Army Mike Obadal, tours the future small...... read more read more
RED RIVER ARMY DEPOT, Texas – The 36th Under Secretary of the Army Mike Obadal visited Red River Army Depot on December 3 to tour the facility and meet with Texas and Arkansas congressional staff delegations about the future of the SkyFoundry. The initiative, led by Army Materiel Command, is a new pilot program that will rapidly develop, test, and produce small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (drones) using innovative manufacturing methods.
The visit also included key discussions with Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, commanding general for the AMC as well as Brig. Gen. Beth A. Behn, commanding general for the Tank-automotive and Armaments Command.
“It should be indicative, and I hope you pass this back to the congressional representatives, that this (Red River Army Depot) is the place that we have come on our first trip outside the Pentagon,” Obadal said. “The reason this visit is so important is because our Organic Industrial Base is the foundation of this entire capability chain.”
Obadal went on to explain that Army leadership understands the consequences of neglecting the importance of depots, arsenals, and plants for military readiness.
“If we let this degrade or decay, we’re seeing the effects months and years later to our forces,” he said. “That’s why we have this renewed energy in the OIB from the Army senior leadership and we’re putting a lot of that on the shoulders of this person right here (Mohan) as he works to establish the modernization cell at the Pentagon.”
Mohan, who was recently selected to lead AMC, has quickly taken up that mantle of responsibility, bringing deep experience to the task of modernizing the OIB and guiding its future direction.
“Red River is a centerpiece of how we are rethinking and reimaging the OIB,” Mohan said. “You’ll see the existing capacity here where we rebuild heavy vehicles, but you’re also going to see some new production innovation that we’re carrying out in addition to a public-private partnership with a potential for lithium extraction.”
All staff delegation in attendance, including members from Senator Ted Cruz, Senator John Cornyn, Senator Tom Cotton, Rep. Pat Fallon, and Rep. Nathaniel Moran, showed firm support for both SkyFoundry and potential partnership for lithium mining at Red River.
Following the briefing, the group toured the depot’s future production site for the drones. Along the way, Obadal paused to recognize Brent Jones and Tulip Frazier, two Red River team members who have been instrumental in advancing the SkyFoundry effort at the depot.
“This is truly incredible,” Obadal said. “This is a story that we want to be able to tell from the Army perspective. This was nothing a few months ago, then it became a concept and has continued more into finalized plans. This is how quickly our Army needs to move.”
The group also made a stop at the depot’s Combat Vehicle Production Facility, where skilled team members carry out critical rework on the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, the Multiple Launch Rocket System, and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System.
Established in August 1941, Red River Army Depot provides manufacturing, remanufacturing, and repair services for a wide range of joint service military vehicles and components. The depot sustains readiness, supports America’s warfighters, strengthens partnerships with allied nations, and deploys expeditionary teams worldwide.
| Date Taken: | 12.10.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.10.2025 15:47 |
| Story ID: | 553782 |
| Location: | TEXARKANA, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 87 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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