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Holston Army Ammunition Plant Weapon Systems

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 has long supplied energetic materials that connect this archive to the cataloged C4 entry.

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Holston Army Ammunition Plant began in 1942 as Holston Ordnance Works and remains a U.S. Army government-owned, contractor-operated explosives installation in Kingsport, Tennessee. Army fact sheets describe it as a production site for high-quality explosives and energetic materials, with modern work centered on explosives manufacturing, chemical processing, and environmental compliance.

For this catalog, the plant matters as the builder facet behind cataloged energetic-material entries such as C4. The profile keeps the focus on the installation's production role, not on conflict-specific battlefield use.

explosives productionenergetic materialsdemolition chargesinsensitive munitions ingredients

Notable Systems

C4

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

Builder 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

Website links
Official installation pageHolston fact sheetBAE Systems operating contract announcement

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. One rights-clear public-domain image was verified from Wikimedia Commons.

Builder 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 and the 2023 contract renewal covering Holston Army Ammunition Plant. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • 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

Category

Munitions

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

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