Photo By Danielle Weinschenk | Army leaders cut the ceremonial ribbon at Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD), officially...... read more read more
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REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- The Army is continuing to drive forward on the most significant overhaul of its Organic Industrial Base as sweeping changes are taking shape across the service’s 23 depots, arsenals and ammunition plants. From a new advanced manufacturing line to ramping up small-unmanned aircraft system component production, the OIB is rapidly transforming into a modern, data‑driven industrial engine capable of empowering Army readiness throughout competition, crisis and conflict.
“The OIB is not just a set of facilities; it is a strategic weapon system,” said Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, commanding general of Army Materiel Command. “And like every weapon system, it must be modernized, resourced, integrated and ready.”
In April 2026, Army Senior Leaders signed the OIB Transformation Strategy, marking a historic shift from a maintenance‑focused enterprise to a strategically aligned industrial base designed for the demands of modern warfare. The strategy establishes a unified, data‑driven approach to strengthen long‑term viability, surge capacity and readiness.
The strategy formally designates the OIB Integration Office, located in the Pentagon, as the central authority for enterprise‑level oversight and to champion early integration of OIB capabilities into the weapon system acquisition lifecycle. It also establishes the OIB Operations Cell, located within AMC headquarters, which focuses on day-to-day execution, infrastructure modernization and aligning facility operations with strategic goals.
“Together, the OIB Integration Office and OIB Operations Center are driving efforts to modernize production and transform our operations,” said Mohan.
The strategy compliments and builds on the Army’s 15‑year OIB Modernization Implementation Plan which continues to execute modernization projects at OIB sites. In fiscal year 2025, the more than $1 billion investments included deploying new robotic welding systems on the M1 Abrams production line at Anniston Army Depot, Alabama; modernizing a critical bomb production line at McAlester Army Depot, Oklahoma; and utilizing advanced manufacturing to create a custom fixture for a new vehicle production line at Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois.
These advancements are not limited to traditional sustainment missions. Tobyhanna Army Depot, Pennsylvania, and RIA-JMTC have introduced scalable domestic production capability for critical components ofsUAS, building immediate security and resilience into Department of War supply chains. By manufacturing sUAS parts in‑house, the OIB is ensuring Soldiers have access to sUAS for training, development and prototyping purposes, while also strengthening domestic production by standing up lines that are adaptable and provide new capabilities.
“Advanced manufacturing is a foundational capability that supports building ready combat formations across the Army, and we must build and leverage our organic capability, as well as that of industry,” said Mohan.
To accelerate advanced manufacturing capabilities, the service awarded a contract earlier this year to Hadrian Automation Inc. to establish a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, aimed at modernizing the production capability of components for weapon systems, including sUAS at Red River Army Depot, Texas.
“We are collaborating with industry, other military services and academia to achieve maximum capacity and learn how best to implement advanced manufacturing at every echelon,” said Mohan.
The Army also recently announced the conditional award of long-term leases to four companies to design, finance, build and operate critical mineral processing facilities on four Army OIB sites – Pine Bluff Arsenal, Arkansas; Tooele Army Depot, Utah; Annison Army Depot; and Red River Army Depot.
“The ability to process critical minerals on U.S. soil is a national defense priority required for munitions, missiles, sensors, batteries and the platforms our Soldiers depend on,” said Dr. Jeff Waksman, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment. “Leveraging our legal authorities and land, the U.S. Army is able to help nurture a critical minerals industrial base which equips and sustains America’s Soldiers without putting any taxpayer dollars at risk.”
These combined transformation efforts strengthen the OIB’s health and viability while ensuring it is enabled to sustain Army readiness in any operational environment.
| Date Taken: | 07.09.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 07.09.2026 15:03 |
| Story ID: | 569648 |
| Location: | REDSTONE ARSENAL, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 81 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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