Manufacturer catalog

Rock Island Arsenal

Rock Island Arsenal is a U.S. Army installation and organic industrial-base manufacturing center on the Mississippi River in Illinois, tied to the catalog through U.S.-built towed artillery, recoil systems, carriages, and later modernization work.

5 weapons

Established by Congress in 1862, Rock Island Arsenal grew from nineteenth-century stone shops into a government-owned Army manufacturing site for ordnance, small arms support, carriages, recoil mechanisms, and other materiel.

Its Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center remains relevant to modern defense production through forge and foundry work, precision machining, welding, plating, additive manufacturing, and sustainment of artillery systems such as the M119 family.

Towed artilleryRecoil systemsGun carriagesForge and foundry operationsPrecision machiningAdvanced and additive manufacturingArmy organic industrial base

Notable Systems

M101 105 mm Howitzer, 105 mm towed field howitzer, Artillery

M101 105 mm Howitzer

105 mm towed field howitzer

Rock Island Arsenal manufactured and assembled M101-family howitzers and associated modifications during World War II and the Korean War production period.

Sources: RIA Self-Guided Tour: M2A1 105 MM Towed Howitzer
M114 155 mm Howitzer, 155 mm towed field howitzer, Artillery

M114 155 mm Howitzer

155 mm towed field howitzer

The M114 was assembled at Rock Island Arsenal from 1941 through 1953, with the carriage and recoil mechanisms produced in-house.

Sources: RIA Self-Guided Tour: M114 155MM Medium Towed Howitzer

M119 lightweight towed howitzer

Rock Island Arsenal revised the British L119 into the American M119, manufactured hundreds of early M119/M119A1 howitzers, and continues parts and upgrade support through RIA-JMTC.

Sources: RIA Self-Guided Tour: L119 105 MM Light Gun, M119 howitzer still plays critical role for Army
M198 155 mm howitzer, 155 mm towed howitzer, Artillery

M198 155 mm Howitzer

155 mm towed howitzer

Army history material identifies the M198 howitzer as a modern Rock Island Arsenal product and notes the arsenal acquired the M198 contract in the 1980s.

Sources: A Self-Guided Tour of Rock Island Arsenal, Manufacturing at Rock Island Arsenal

Manufacturer History

  1. Arsenal established

    An Act of Congress established Rock Island Arsenal on federally owned land on an island in the Mississippi River.

    Sources: Rock Island Arsenal History, A Self-Guided Tour of Rock Island Arsenal

  2. Stone manufacturing shops built

    Thomas J. Rodman's arsenal plan produced ten stone shops, with Arsenal Row used for general ordnance manufacture and overhaul and Armory Row for small arms work.

    Sources: Rock Island Arsenal History, A Self-Guided Tour of Rock Island Arsenal

  3. World War II and Korean War howitzer production

    Rock Island Arsenal assembled M101 and M114 howitzers and produced key carriage and recoil components during the major U.S. towed-artillery production period.

    Sources: RIA Self-Guided Tour: M2A1 105 MM Towed Howitzer, RIA Self-Guided Tour: M114 155MM Medium Towed Howitzer

  4. Weapons research role expands

    The Weapons Research Laboratory was transferred to Rock Island Arsenal and renamed the General Thomas J. Rodman Laboratory, adding design and development work for a wider set of weapon systems.

    Sources: Manufacturing at Rock Island Arsenal

  5. M119 production run

    Rock Island Arsenal manufactured 521 M119 and M119A1 howitzers, after revising the British L119 design for U.S. Army use.

    Sources: RIA Self-Guided Tour: L119 105 MM Light Gun

  6. AS9100 aerospace certification

    RIA-JMTC announced AS9100 certification for aerospace quality-management work tied to foundry, casting, forging, and specialized manufacturing capabilities.

    Sources: RIA-JMTC achieves aerospace industry milestone with AS9100 certification

Website links
U.S. Army Garrison Rock Island ArsenalRock Island Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing and Technology CenterRock Island Arsenal history

Rock Island Arsenal is a U.S. government-owned Army installation rather than a private corporation. This profile treats Rock Island Arsenal, RIA, and RIA-JMTC as the same catalog builder context while preserving the exact manufacturer spellings as aliases.

Manufacturer Sources

  • U.S. Army Garrison Rock Island ArsenalPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Official installation page supporting Rock Island Arsenal's active U.S. Army status, location on a Mississippi River island, tenant commands, and public website. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • Rock Island Arsenal HistoryPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Official history page supporting the 1862 establishment, National Register and National Historic Landmark context, and government-owned arsenal status. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • A Self-Guided Tour of Rock Island ArsenalPublisher: U.S. Army Sustainment Command | Note: Official tour history supporting the 1862 founding date, original stone shops, Arsenal Row and Armory Row functions, and references to Rock Island Arsenal products including the M198. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • Manufacturing at Rock Island ArsenalPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Official Army article supporting Rock Island Arsenal's manufacturing history, M119 and M198 production context, and the current Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center forge and foundry role. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • Army hosts Castings & Forgings Summit to modernize manufacturing capabilitiesPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Official Army article supporting RIA-JMTC capabilities including casting, forging, welding, plating, CNC machining, obsolescence manufacturing, and 3D printing. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • RIA-JMTC achieves aerospace industry milestone with AS9100 certificationPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Official Army article supporting RIA-JMTC's AS9100 certification and aerospace manufacturing quality context. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • RIA Self-Guided Tour: M2A1 105 MM Towed HowitzerPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Official Army page supporting Rock Island Arsenal manufacture and assembly of M101-family 105 mm howitzers. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • RIA Self-Guided Tour: M114 155MM Medium Towed HowitzerPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Official Army page supporting Rock Island Arsenal assembly of M114 howitzers from 1941 through 1953 and in-house production of carriages and recoil mechanisms. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • RIA Self-Guided Tour: L119 105 MM Light GunPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Official Army page supporting Rock Island Arsenal revision of the L119 into the M119, early M119/M119A1 production, and RIA-JMTC parts and upgrade support. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • M119 howitzer still plays critical role for ArmyPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Official Army article supporting RIA-JMTC's M119A3 recoil redesign prototyping, manufacturing, rework, testing, and production role. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • RIA-JMTC hosts Castings & Forgings Summit imagePublisher: DVIDS | Note: Image provenance source for a public-domain U.S. Army photo showing a Rock Island Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center artisan transferring a metal component during a forging demonstration. | Accessed: 2026-06-21

Produced weapons

Category

Artillery

Tube artillery, rocket artillery, and long-range ground fires.

5/5
M102 105 mm Howitzer, 105 mm lightweight towed howitzer, Artillery1955 Vietnam War, 1990 Gulf War +1 moreM102 105 mm Howitzer105 mm lightweight towed howitzerBuilt in: United StatesThe M102 is a U.S. 105 mm lightweight towed howitzer developed at Rock Island Arsenal for airborne, air-assault, and light-infantry artillery units. It replaced heavier M101A1 guns in Vietnam, used a low aluminum carriage with 360-degree traverse, and later remained visible through Gulf War, Iraq War, and AC-130 gunship service after Army field artillery units transitioned to the M119.
M101 105 mm Howitzer, 105 mm towed field howitzer, Artillery2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2017 Battle of Marawi +1 moreM101 105 mm Howitzer105 mm towed field howitzerBuilt in: United StatesThe M101 is a U.S.-origin 105 mm towed field howitzer descended from the wartime M2A1, produced at Rock Island Arsenal and exported widely after U.S. service. Its split-trail carriage, semi-fixed 105 mm ammunition family, and later 33-caliber modernization packages kept the gun useful from 1955 Vietnam War fire bases to Philippine urban direct-fire missions and Lithuanian-donated M101A1 guns in Ukrainian service.
M114 155 mm Howitzer, 155 mm towed field howitzer, Artillery2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 1955 Vietnam War +1 moreM114 155 mm Howitzer155 mm towed field howitzerBuilt in: United StatesThe M114 is a U.S.-origin 155 mm towed howitzer first fielded as the M1 during World War II and later redesignated M114. Official U.S. Army history identifies it as the standard 155 mm howitzer of the Korean and Vietnam wars, while recent catalog evidence centers on legacy stocks reappearing with Houthi-aligned forces in Yemen and Ukrainian forces during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
M198 155 mm howitzer, 155 mm towed howitzer, Artillery1990 Gulf War, 2001 War in Afghanistan +3 moreM198 155 mm howitzer155 mm towed howitzerBuilt in: United StatesThe M198 is a U.S.-designed 155 mm towed howitzer developed at Rock Island Arsenal to replace older M114-series guns. Its split-trail carriage, nine-person crew, air-transportable layout, and 22-30 km range made it a standard U.S. Army and Marine Corps fire-support weapon before the lighter M777 replaced it in U.S. service. Direct conflict sourcing now traces M198 fielding from Desert Storm through U.S. use in Afghanistan and Iraq, Islamic State capture and cross-border use in Iraq and Syria, Iraq-aligned militia firing, and coalition-backed Iraqi Army live-fire training.