ROCKET CENTER, W.Va. (WV News) — U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, was in Mineral County Monday to visit Allegany Ballistics Laboratory (ABL) in Rocket Center.
During the visit, Sen. Capito received a tour to see firsthand how ABL manufactures key components of critical munitions that strengthen the United States’ defense capabilities, support Ukraine’s military capabilities, and bolster the defenses of Israel, as well as U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific.
Sen. Capito also had the chance to meet with ABL leaders to discuss the company’s ongoing expansion projects, which will accelerate critical munitions production to meet the needs of the U.S. and allied militaries.
“I’m appreciative of the chance to visit ABL again and see how the hard work of West Virginians directly contributes to our national defense,” Sen. Capito said. “Today’s visit was an opportunity to see firsthand how critical munitions production and military support for Ukraine and Israel relate directly to West Virginians. With our allies and partners under attack and tensions rising around the world, the work happening at defense industrial base facilities like ABL is more important now than ever before.
“West Virginians can be certain that funding appropriated by Congress to defend our allies overseas is going directly to facilities like ABL that create American jobs and strengthen our country’s own defense industrial base.”
Allegany Ballistics Laboratory is a government-owned, contractor-operated facility that produces solid rocket motors and other key components for critical munitions. The facility employs more than 1,600 people and currently produces over 2.1 million pounds of energetic material each year.
ABL is currently working to expand critical munitions production at the facility through support secured by Sen. Capito.
In 2017, Sen. Capito visited ABL with U.S. Department of the Navy leadership, and has successfully secured funding on behalf of ABL, their workforce, and projects at the facility through the Senate appropriations process.
During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing last week to review the Biden administration’s national security supplemental request, Sen. Capito highlighted the role of Allegany Ballistics Laboratory in strengthening the U.S. defense industrial base and the importance of expansion efforts at the facility.