The US Army and AMTEC Corporation have opened a new 40mm grenade production line and an indoor testing range at AMTEC’s facility in Janesville, Wisconsin, marking another step in the service’s ongoing effort to expand and modernize domestic munitions manufacturing.
The site includes a 72,000-square-foot (6,690 square meters) manufacturing facility housing a new production line for the 40mm M918E2 High Velocity Target Practice cartridge, as well as a 200-meter (656-foot) indoor test range.
The army invested approximately $21 million in establishing the new production line.
The line replaces labor-intensive manufacturing steps with a higher degree of automation, allowing for increased output and more consistent production, army officials said.
Focus on Training Ammunition and Safety
The M918E2 cartridge produced at the facility is a 40mm high-velocity training round designed for use with systems such as the MK19 automatic grenade launcher and the M203 and M320 grenade launchers.
Unlike older training rounds, the M918E2 is designed to prevent unexploded duds, reducing long-term hazards on training ranges.
The cartridge also incorporates visible impact signatures that can be observed in daylight, low-light, and thermal conditions, aligning with the army’s emphasis on more realistic training environments.
Army officials describe these features as supporting “train as you fight” concepts by allowing units to maneuver more freely during live-fire exercises.
In addition to the production line, the on-site indoor test range is intended to streamline testing and quality assurance. Previously, the company relied on an off-site law enforcement range, a process that required additional coordination and security measures.
US Munitions Production Capability
The US Army has increasingly emphasized munitions production capacity in recent years, driven by heightened global demand, sustained support to allies, and concerns about the resilience of the US defense industrial base.
Since 2022, the service has directed billions of dollars toward new facilities, production lines, and equipment upgrades aimed at reducing bottlenecks and improving safety across ammunition plants.
The Janesville facility is one of more than 10 new or modernized munitions-related facilities the army has brought online as part of this effort.
