Manufacturer catalog

Holston Army Ammunition Plant

Holston Army Ammunition Plant is a U.S. Army government-owned, contractor-operated explosives plant in Kingsport, Tennessee. Operated by BAE Systems Ordnance Systems Inc. for Joint Munitions Command, it supplies high explosives, energetic materials, and insensitive explosive formulations tied to cataloged systems including C4 and IMX-101-filled M795 projectiles.

1 weapons

Holston Army Ammunition Plant traces its wartime origin to Holston Ordnance Works, where Tennessee Eastman built pilot and large-scale production capacity for RDX and Composition B in 1942. The Army's current fact sheet describes the Kingsport installation as a GOCO plant with more than 6,000 acres, explosives production and development capability, high-explosive synthesis, recrystallization and purification, melt-cast, cast-cured, pressed, and extruded formulation work, performance testing, and custom chemical manufacture for defense customers.

The plant's public production context is strongest around energetic materials rather than complete launch platforms. Army and BAE sources describe Holston as a major supplier of explosive fills and high-explosive formulations, including RDX, HMX, C4-related production context, and IMX insensitive explosives. That makes Holston relevant to cataloged demolition and artillery-munition entries while leaving conflict-use claims to the individual weapon records that carry direct sourcing.

explosives productionenergetic materialsdemolition chargesinsensitive munitions ingredientsRDX and HMX formulationsmelt-cast explosive fills

Notable Systems

C4, Plastic demolition explosive, Munitions

C4

Plastic demolition explosive

The Army's M112 demolition-block fact sheet names BAE Systems - Holston Army Ammunition Plant, Kingsport, TN as the C4 stakeholder, tying the plant to the cataloged C4 entry's production context.

Sources: M112 demolition block fact sheet, Holston fact sheet
M795 155 mm high-explosive projectile, 155 mm high-explosive projectile, Munitions

M795 155 mm high-explosive projectile

155 mm high-explosive projectile

BAE states that Holston developed IMX-101 as a TNT replacement for artillery, while GDOTS describes the M795 projectile as filled with TNT or IMX-101. The system link therefore reflects Holston's sourced energetic-fill role, not projectile-body manufacture.

Sources: BAE Systems operating contract announcement, GDOTS 155MM M795 HE, National Defense IMX production

Manufacturer History

  1. Plant established as Holston Ordnance Works

    Army sources describe the site as having been established in 1942 and later known as Holston Ordnance Works before its current designation.

    Sources: Holston fact sheet, USAASC GOCO article

  2. Redesignated Holston Army Ammunition Plant

    The Holston fact sheet says Holston Ordnance Works was redesignated Holston Army Ammunition Plant in 1963 and has continued operating since then.

    Sources: Holston fact sheet

  3. BAE Systems wins a new operating contract

    BAE Systems announced that BAE Systems Ordnance Systems Inc. received a new U.S. Army contract to continue as Holston's operating contractor for 10 years.

    Sources: BAE Systems operating contract announcement

  4. BAE describes Holston's current OSI role

    BAE Systems' Ordnance Systems Inc. page identifies OSI as the operating contractor for Holston and describes the Kingsport plant as a major supplier of explosive materials with nitration chemistry, acid handling, recovery, and chemical-processing capabilities.

    Sources: BAE Systems Ordnance Systems Inc.

Website links
Official installation pageHolston fact sheetBAE Systems operating contract announcementBAE Systems Ordnance Systems Inc.Army Holston modernization article

Holston Army Ammunition Plant is a government-owned, contractor-operated U.S. Army installation. Official Army sources use Holston Ordnance Works for the historic wartime name and Holston Army Ammunition Plant for the current designation, so aliases preserve that naming continuity. Notable-system links are limited to published catalog records with direct sourcing for Holston's energetic-material or explosive-fill role; they do not imply Holston manufactured every component of those munitions. One rights-clear public-domain image was verified from Wikimedia Commons.

Manufacturer Sources

  • Official installation pagePublisher: U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command | Note: Supports the current installation identity, Kingsport location, and the plant's role within the Joint Munitions Command network. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • Holston fact sheetPublisher: U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command | Note: Supports the 1942 establishment date, GOCO status, Holston Ordnance Works to Holston Army Ammunition Plant renaming in 1963, the Kingsport address, and the plant's explosives-production mission. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • BAE Systems operating contract announcementPublisher: BAE Systems | Note: Supports BAE Systems Ordnance Systems Inc. as the operating contractor, the 2023 contract renewal covering Holston Army Ammunition Plant, and BAE's statement that Holston developed IMX-101 as a TNT replacement for artillery. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • BAE Systems Ordnance Systems Inc.Publisher: BAE Systems | Note: Supports Ordnance Systems Inc. as Holston's operating contractor and describes Holston's role as a major supplier of explosive materials with nitration chemistry, acid handling and recovery, and chemical-processing capabilities. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • Army Holston modernization articlePublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports Holston's modernization of melt-cast explosive production, its long-running RDX and HMX formulation role, and Army statements about producing explosive fills for U.S. Department of Defense ordnance. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • GDOTS 155MM M795 HEPublisher: General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems | Note: Supports the M795 projectile's 155 mm high-explosive identity and TNT or IMX-101 fill, providing the published-system connection for Holston-produced IMX-101. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • National Defense IMX productionPublisher: National Defense | Note: Supports large-scale IMX production at Holston, the 2013 IMX-101 production award, and IMX-101's role as a TNT replacement for artillery rounds. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • READY TO GOCOPublisher: U.S. Army Security Assistance Command | Note: Supports the plant's establishment in 1942, its Kingsport location, and its role as a major supplier of explosive materials to the Department of Defense. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • M112 demolition block fact sheetPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports the Holston C4 stakeholder listing in the Army's M112 demolition-block fact sheet, tying the plant to the cataloged C4 production context. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • Holston Ordnance Works aerial viewPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports the reusable image choice. The file page identifies the image as a public-domain U.S. government/Library of Congress historic aerial view of the Holston Ordnance Works site, which directly depicts the plant's historic predecessor. | Accessed: 2026-06-21

Produced weapons

Category

Munitions

Standalone missiles, bombs, rockets, torpedoes, and guided or unguided explosive payloads.

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