The Czechoslovak Group (CSG) has officially begun the construction of the Future Artillery Complex (FAC) at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant (IAAAP) through its U.S. subsidiary MSM North America, according to the group on Thursday. The ceremonial groundbreaking marks the start of one of the U.S. Army’s most significant modernization projects for the production of large-caliber ammunition and, at the same time, another milestone in CSG’s long-term expansion in the United States.
Representatives from the U.S. Army, industry partners, and CSG attended the ceremony, including Michal Strnad, CEO and Chairman of the Board of CSG. The groundbreaking follows the U.S. Army’s award to MSM North America in 2025 for the planning, construction, and commissioning of the Future Artillery Complex with a contract value of up to $635 million. Upon completion, the new government-owned, contractor-operated (GOCO) facility will replace an aging production line that has served the U.S. Army for more than five decades.
Expansion of CSG’s Industrial Presence in the United States
The facility is designed to produce up to 36,000 loaded 155-mm artillery shells per month. It will become the world’s most advanced facility for loading energetic materials in 155-mm artillery ammunition and a central building block of the Army’s efforts to modernize and expand the United States’ ammunition industrial base.
“The groundbreaking of the Future Artillery Complex is far more than the start of erecting a new production facility. It demonstrates what can be achieved when the U.S. Army and industry work together to strengthen allied defense capabilities. We are proud that MSM North America and CSG have become reliable partners in this strategically important program and bring decades of experience in munitions production to build capabilities that will serve the United States and its allies for many years to come,” said Michal Strnad, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of CSG.
The Future Artillery Complex is part of CSG’s broader strategy to establish itself as a significant industrial partner in the United States. Today, CSG employs more than 4,000 people nationwide, according to its own figures, primarily through the Kinetic Group, one of the leading American manufacturers of small-caliber ammunition. The FAC project is expected to create around 70 highly skilled jobs at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant and to further expand MSM North America’s own workforce.
