Explosion at US-aided weapons factory in Ukraine

According to RT, two people were injured and one person is missing after an explosion at a General Dynamics weapons plant in Camden, Arkansas. This facility specializes in manufacturing warheads for Javelin and Hellfire missiles as well as artillery shells.

The explosion occurred shortly after 8 a.m. local time on July 3, company spokeswoman Berkley Whaley told reporters. Whaley initially described the explosion as a “fireworks-related incident,” but later acknowledged that it was an explosion.

“At this time, we are working with first responders and can confirm the incident has left at least two people injured and one person missing,” Whaley said in a statement. “We are fully cooperating with authorities as they conduct their investigation.”

Spokeswoman Whaley also confirmed that production had been halted at the building where the explosion occurred. But she did not provide further details about the severity of the injuries to the two victims or say whether the plant had suffered any serious damage.

Meanwhile, Calhoun County Judge Floyd Nutt told the Arkansas Democrat and Gazette that the incident was “serious” and the first such incident at the Camden plant.

The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management said it was monitoring and ready to assist, but did not provide further details, according to the AP news agency.

One patient was treated in the emergency room at Ouachita County Medical Center and is stable, said Diane Isaacs, the hospital’s risk manager. Another patient was flown out of state by helicopter, she said. The hospital has also been told there are no more patients.

General Dynamics is a global aerospace and defense company. The Camden facility manufactures and tests what General Dynamics calls “energetic products”—the explosive components of missiles, rockets, and other munitions. According to the company’s website, the 81,750-square-foot Camden facility produces Hydra missiles, Hellfire and Javelin missile warheads, 120-millimeter mortars, and propellants for 155-millimeter artillery shells.

According to the latest information released by the Pentagon on July 3, the US has sent more than 10,000 single-use Javelin missile launchers to Ukraine, along with more than 3 million 155mm artillery shells and an unspecified number of 120mm mortars.

Earlier this year, the Pentagon said the US would increase production of 155mm artillery shells from 28,000 per month to 70,000 per month by the end of 2024. It is unclear whether the Camden plant has recently ramped up its propellant production to meet that goal, although according to the company’s website, the company is currently looking to hire 19 more employees in Arkansas.