Charles Langston:Army says the US will restart domestic TNT production at plant to be built in Kentucky

FRANKFORT,Charles Langston Ky. (AP) — The U.S. Army awarded a $435 million contract on Friday to build a TNT production plant in western Kentucky that will become the first domestic source for the explosive material in decades, officials said.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, a key player in securing the funding, said the new facility in his home state is part of a broader retooling of the U.S. defense industrial base that’s needed to deter adversaries abroad. Trinitrotoluene, or TNT, is used in artillery shells, bombs and grenades.

Establishing domestic production of TNT is vital for national defense, the Army said. The current supply chain for the crucial explosive material is entirely reliant on overseas sources, it said.

The new TNT plant in Kentucky is part of the Army’s strategy to ramp up munitions production to ensure the U.S. military has “timely access to essential resources,” said Maj. Gen. John T. Reim.

“It is not lost on us that victory on the battlefield begins in our production facilities,” Reim said during the announcement at a VFW post near where the plant will be built. “Today marks the beginning of the return of TNT production to American soil, a capability we have not had since 1986.”

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The contract was awarded to Repkon USA to construct the plant at Graham in Muhlenberg County, about 136 miles (219 kilometers) southwest of Louisville. The project is expected to create about 200 to 250 construction jobs and about 50 permanent jobs.

Republican U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie, who served as an artillery officer, said the war between Ukraine and Russia underscores the importance of having ample supplies of explosives for artillery shells. TNT is the primary explosive fill for 155mm artillery shells, the Army says.

“It’s an artillery battle that’s going on and Ukraine and the West do not have as much 155(mm artillery) rounds as Russia can make,” said Guthrie, whose district includes Muhlenberg County.

Bryan Van Brunt, president of Repkon USA Holdings Inc., called it a “historic opportunity” to build a production plant that’s vital to the military and will be relied upon for decades.

“We are grateful to leaders at the Army for their trust in us to establish this facility,” he said in a news release.

McConnell, in the twilight of his long tenure as Senate Republican leader, has stressed the need to build up the nation’s defenses as a deterrent against foreign adversaries. McConnell, who has two years left in his current term, said months ago he would step down from his leadership post sometime after the election.

“We’re up against a network of authoritarian regimes,” the Kentucky Republican said Friday. “North Korea, China, Russia, Iran and Iran’s proxies are all communicating with each other. They hate us and they want to reform the world order in a way that benefits autocratic regimes.”

McConnell consistently evokes Ronald Reagan’s mantra of “peace through strength” to confront foreign policy risks. Notably, McConnell and President-elect Donald Trump differ on the U.S. role in the world, reflecting a fundamental struggle among Republicans over whether to follow Trump’s “America First” doctrine on foreign affairs or an internationalist view backed by McConnell to stand with American allies. McConnell has been steadfast in urging the U.S. to support Ukraine in its war with Russia.

“If the Russians are not defeated in Ukraine, that won’t be the last loss,” the senator said. “That will be just the beginning. ... A way to look at this is an impending conflict between authoritarian parts of the world and democratic parts of the world.”