PINE BLUFF, AR — Hanwha Defense USA says it will build a new advanced manufacturing campus at the U.S. Army Pine Bluff Arsenal, turning the Arkansas installation into the centerpiece of a major expansion in munitions production. The company put the project’s capital investment at $2.2 billion and said it expects to create close to 400 jobs over seven years.
The announcement came as Hanwha executives, state officials and local leaders marked the opening of the company’s new administration headquarters at the arsenal. That office is intended to oversee local operations and serve as the first step in Hanwha’s larger campus plan. The company received a lease solicitation for the munitions campus in January 2026.
New headquarters opens as the first step at Pine Bluff Arsenal
Monday’s ribbon cutting at the Pine Bluff Arsenal gave Hanwha a visible foothold in Arkansas before the larger campus is built. The administration headquarters is now in place, and company leaders say it will anchor the work that follows.
Hanwha Defense USA CEO Michael Coulter said the company wants to bring more of its manufacturing strength to the United States while adding jobs in Arkansas. He said the new office in Pine Bluff will oversee local operations and help support the company’s planned investment in the campus.
The headquarters opening also underscored the military installation’s role in the project. Hanwha’s planned campus would sit on land at the arsenal, making the Army site both the company’s base of operations and the location of the future production complex.
Project focuses on 155 mm propellant charges and base bleed units
The new facility is planned to produce 155 mm propellant charges and base bleed units, both parts of munitions used in defense manufacturing. Hanwha says the campus will add advanced domestic manufacturing capabilities across key stages of production.
The company’s goal is to strengthen U.S. output and modernize the nation’s munitions industrial base. By building more production capacity in Arkansas, Hanwha says it can help meet defense needs while creating a more complete domestic supply chain for the kinds of products it plans to make there.
The company describes the Arkansas site as part of a broader effort to support American defense manufacturing. The project is designed not only to produce components, but also to expand the industrial base behind them.
Army officials say the lease would bring revenue and reinvestment
Jordan Gillis, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment, said the eventual lease would create revenue for the Army and provide new jobs for the surrounding community. He said leasing underused land allows the Army to put it to work while strengthening its organic industrial base.
Gillis also said the money generated through the lease can be reinvested in critical infrastructure that supports soldiers, civilians and their families. He framed the arrangement as a way to deliver long-term value for both the Army and the region.
Hanwha’s plan is tied to that leasing process, which would allow the company to operate at the Pine Bluff Arsenal while the Army benefits from the arrangement. The company said it expects the project to support both military readiness and local economic activity.
Arkansas leaders highlight jobs, exports and local growth
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders praised the decision to locate the campus at Pine Bluff Arsenal, saying it represents a major win for communities in the Arkansas Delta. She said the project will bolster local economies and create hundreds of jobs.
Sanders also pointed to Arkansas’ aerospace and defense sector, saying billion-dollar investments like Hanwha’s help keep that industry the state’s top export category. She thanked the company for choosing Arkansas and said she looked forward to continued partnership.
Sen. Tom Cotton said the project would bring billions in investment and hundreds of jobs while also making Americans safer. He said he had worked with Sen. John Boozman and Rep. Bruce Westerman to help keep Pine Bluff Arsenal a key national security asset open to more defense investment.
State officials describe 18 months of recruiting and site visits
Clint O’Neal, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, said state officials spent the past 18 months working closely with Hanwha to secure the project. That effort included site visits across Arkansas, meetings with company executives in Korea and talks at the Paris and Farnborough air shows.
O’Neal said the collaboration between state and local partners was essential to winning the campus. He credited the Arkansas congressional delegation, the U.S. Army, the Pine Bluff Arsenal and the local community for helping make the deal possible.
Hanwha says it continues to expand its U.S. presence through organic growth, strategic industrial partnerships and selective acquisitions. The Pine Bluff project adds a large new Arkansas location to that strategy while tying the company more closely to U.S. defense production.