U.S. Senator Dave McCormick views the military equipment manufactured and repaired in Pennsylvania as integral to the defense of the nation and its allies.
"Investing in defense is the solemn obligation I think we have to our citizens and to the men and women who serve," he said. "And I truly believe in my heart that Pennsylvania is at the forefront of that investment, at the forefront of that lethality.”
McCormick, a Republican, toured the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant (SAAP), run by General Dynamics, on Wednesday afternoon. Earlier, he visited the Tobyhanna Army Depot in Monroe County, where about 3,000 employees work to support all six branches of the United States Armed Forces and beyond.
The plant and the depot are part of what the U.S. Military calls its organic industrial base.
The senator said he aimed to learn more about local contributions to the national effort to rebuild the nation’s military and boost military readiness.
"Four hundred jobs here," he said at SAAP. "This is critical to our national security. It's critical to Pennsylvania's economy, and Pennsylvania should be at the forefront of this new money and these efforts.”
McCormick referenced the $150 billion-plus federal defense budget in President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill. U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, (R-Luzerne County) also took the tour. Both lawmakers voted for the bill.
His Northeast Pennsylvania tours followed similar visits to south-central Pennsylvania facilities on Tuesday.
'Success on the battlefield starts here in this factory'
John Pericci, general manager of General Dynamics’ Northeast Pennsylvania operation, walked the senator through the entire process of how metal billets become Army-green missile shells.
"You walk through that. It feels like Scranton, it feels like Pennsylvania. You feel the patriotism, you feel the quality, the commitment to excellence.”
Pericci discussed construction areas in the plant and new machinery in use.
In February 2023, then-Secretary of the Army, Christine Wormouth visited the plant with McCormick’s predecessor, Bob Casey. They discussed the Army’s investment into the plant to upgrade equipment and hire more employees.
Over two years later, that investment is visible at SAAP.
At peak production, SAAP will make 700,000 shells per year, said Pericci. The missiles are not weaponized in Scranton. They are shipped off to another part of the country for that.
After the tour, McCormick recalled a sign hung in the plant.
"'Success on the battlefield starts here in this factory', you can feel great Americans doing a great mission for our great country and our great commonwealth. So I loved it," he said.
A pathway to peace?
The 155 mm shells have been integral in Ukraine's defense against Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the plant last September. A shell signed by Zelenskyy is on display at the plant.
After the tour, McCormick said eight months into Trump’s administration he sees a pathway to peace in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
"There's 150,000 Ukrainians in Pennsylvania. There's no doubt that Putin and Russia was and is the aggressor, but I think the president's outlined a plan that could potentially bring a peaceful resolution, and includes the Europeans stepping up and giving a security arrangement,” he said.
McCormick also said European nations will contribute 5% to NATO.
In June, several of the 30 European nations within NATO committed to increasing their defense spending to 5% of their GDP by 2035.
With those contributions, McCormick believes NATO will purchase more defense equipment from the United States.
"I think it offers real opportunity for the companies in Pennsylvania that are producers,” he said.
On the plant floor, McCormick shook hands with employees, often asking how long they’ve worked at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant. He appeared impressed by the longevity of their careers.
"I love seeing it. This is like American manufacturing at its best,” he said.
