BAE Systems was awarded a $177 million contract for construction and commissioning of the new nitrocellulose facility at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant.
Work is to be completed by Dec. 31, 2018, the US department of defense said in a statement Friday.
Radford is capable of producing mass quantities of solvent and solventless propellants to support direct fire, indirect fire, and rocket applications. The facility uses a variety of ingredients in its propellant-making process, including nitroglycerin and nitrocellulose. Radford currently is the primary supplier of solventless propellants. and is the only North American manufacturer and supplier of nitrocellulose.