Reps. Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) and Donald Norcross (NJ-1) toured the Picatinny Arsenal base that is under construction where a munition disassembly facility broke ground earlier this year.
During their recent visit, the Democratic Congress members met with workforce leaders at Picatinny Arsenal and received a briefing from Brigadier General Vincent Malone on recent developments at the base.
Picatinny Arsenal, which is Morris County’s largest employer and serves as the Department of Defense’s Joint Center of Excellence for Guns and Ammunition, “is vital to our local economy and essential to the modernization of the American military,” Sherrill said after the visit.
Picatinny Is ‘Critical’ For National Defense
According to Picatinny Arsenal, the base provides products, services and 90% of the lethal weapons to all branches of the U.S. Military.
The munitions disassembly facility will enable the base to research effective ways to disassemble complex munitions used to attack soldiers and will house a robotics research center, as well as five munitions storage magazines.
Both Sherrill and Norcross, members of the House Armed Services Committee, were instrumental in securing funding for the facility, which has been under construction since March.
Construction Update
Additionally, under development is an extended range cannon artillery, which will enable the military to “accurately fire a projectile over an extended distance, hitting targets up to 40 miles away,” according to Sherrill.
Sherill thanked the base for hosting them and providing an update on “the critical supply chain issues and infrastructure upgrades that will allow Picatinny to remain on the cutting edge of munitions research and disposal.”
Norcross, who chairs the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, said Picatinny Arsenal is “uniquely critical to our nation’s defense.”
“The cutting-edge research and facility upgrades being conducted keep our service members—and all Americans—safe,” he added.