munitions factory
{{Short description|Factory that manufactures ammunition and explosives}}
File:Men and women working at Salisbury Munitions Factory(GN13533A).jpg, 1943]]
A munitions factory, also called an ordnance factory or a munitions manufacturing base, is a factory that produces explosives, ammunition, missiles, and similar products. They are used by the defence industry to produce equipment for military use, as well as for public consumption in countries which allow citizens to carry firearms.
In the United States
In the United States, munitions factories that are used to produce equipment for the military are all government owned, though some are operated by contractors.{{Cite book |url=http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10351 |title=Munitions Manufacturing: A Call for Modernization |date=2002-04-16 |publisher=National Academies Press |isbn=978-0-309-58137-0 |location=Washington, D.C. |doi=10.17226/10351}} In 2020, there were 5 active plants.{{Cite web|url=https://www.heritage.org/defense/commentary/work-conditions-army-ammunition-plants-pose-dangers-employees-and-national|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114032004/https://www.heritage.org/defense/commentary/work-conditions-army-ammunition-plants-pose-dangers-employees-and-national|url-status=unfit|archive-date=November 14, 2020|title=Work Conditions in Army Ammunition Plants Pose Dangers to Employees—and National Security|first=Maiya|last=Clark|website=The Heritage Foundation}} The government office typically responsible for munitions funding is the Department of Defense's Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Resilience. In September of 2023, that office announced a plan to begin funding more factories, providing $50 million worth in shared equipment and $25 million in monetary funding.{{Cite web|url=https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3538217/dod-establishes-munitions-campus-pilot-to-lower-barriers-for-emerging-industry/https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3538217/dod-establishes-munitions-campus-pilot-to-lower-barriers-for-emerging-industry/|title=DOD Establishes Munitions Campus Pilot to Lower Barriers for Emerging Industry|website=U.S. Department of Defense}}{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
In the United Kingdom
The majority of British military munitions are produced by BAE Systems, a manufacturing company in London, though some are standard NATO equipment manufactured elsewhere.{{Cite web|url=https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2023/07/11/bae-systems-wins-order-for-munitions-as-uk-rebuilds-stocks/|title=BAE Systems wins order for munitions as UK rebuilds stocks|first=Andrew|last=Chuter|date=July 11, 2023|website=Defense News}} According to a 2020 article from The Guardian, the United Kingdom was the second-largest exporter of arms in the world.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/06/uk-remains-second-biggest-arms-exporter-with-11bn-of-orders|title=UK remains second biggest arms exporter with £11bn of orders|author=Sabbagh, Dan|date=October 6, 2020|newspaper=The Guardian}}
Hazards
Due to the nature of devices being produced in munitions factories, working conditions are typically dangerous. Ordnance can explode, and if the factory is producing chemical or biological weapons, yet more risks are added. Also, concerns have been raised over possible contamination of drinking water due to runoff.{{Cite web |last=US EPA |first=OECA |date=2013-08-26 |title=The Environmental Challenge of Military Munitions and Federal Facilities |url=https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/environmental-challenge-military-munitions-and-federal-facilities |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=www.epa.gov |language=en}}
One notable incident with unexploded ordnance going off in the plant was the April 11, 2017 incident at Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, which killed worker Lawrence Bass. The cause is thought to be improper working conditions and untaken precautions. Since 2010, Bass and one other person have died due to exploding parts.{{Cite web |last=Clark |first=Maiya |title=Work Conditions in Army Ammunition Plants Pose Dangers to Employees—and National Security |url=https://www.heritage.org/defense/commentary/work-conditions-army-ammunition-plants-pose-dangers-employees-and-national |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114032004/https://www.heritage.org/defense/commentary/work-conditions-army-ammunition-plants-pose-dangers-employees-and-national |url-status=unfit |archive-date=November 14, 2020 |access-date=2024-01-30 |website=The Heritage Foundation |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=LAWRENCE BASS Obituary (1961 - 2017) - Blue Springs, MO - Kansas City Star |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/kansascity/name/lawrence-bass-obituary?id=4210511 |access-date=2024-01-30 |website=Legacy.com}}