Hanwha Defense USA, a subsidiary of South Korean Hanwha Aerospace, yesterday announced plans to build a $2.2 billion advanced manufacturing campus in Arkansas.
The investment is expected to create some 400 jobs at an average wage of $50 per hour at U.S. Army Pine Bluff Arsenal (PBA) over the next seven years.
Hanwha Defense’s new facility at the military manufacturing installation will focus on the production of 155 mm propellant charges, the explosive components used in artillery howitzers to launch 155 mm projectiles, and base bleed units, small gas generators attached to the bottom of an artillery shell that can increase range by 20% to 35%.
Company executives joined state officials and local leaders to celebrate the opening of its new administration headquarters on Monday.
The campus is expected to support the American defense industrial base. CEO Michael Coulter said the new campus will "transform [the] domestic munitions industrial base and further strengthen America’s arsenal of freedom.”
In January, the Army issued the company a lease solicitation, basically inviting Hanwha to build a munitions campus at Pine Bluff. The new office is the first step in that project. The arsenal was built in 1941 to manufacture grenades and bombs for the U.S. Army leading up to the nation’s entrance into World War II.
Jordan Gillis, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment, said, “The eventual lease will create revenue for the Army, bring in new jobs for the local community, and enhance our organic industrial base. He said that, by leasing underutilized land, the Army can reinvest in infrastructure to support the quality of life of soldiers and civilians in the region.
The Pentagon has pressured U.S. defense contractors to speed up weapons production and delivery schedules to replenish munitions stockpiles depleted in recent conflicts.
In August 2025, the Hanwha Group, Hanwha Defense USA's parent company, announced a $5 billion investment in its Philly Shipyard in Pennsylvania. The funds are part of a $150 billion commitment in American shipbuilding that South Korean President Lee Jae Myung made to President Donald Trump last year.
