Metallus Wins Up to $995 Million DLA Contract for HF-1 Steel Used in 155mm Shells

Metallus Inc. of Canton, Ohio, has received a Defense Logistics Agency contract worth up to $995 million to supply High Fragmentation 1 (HF-1) steel for DLA Strategic Materials and the National Defense Stockpile. The five-year, firm-fixed-price contract is expected to be completed by Sept. 24, 2031. HF-1 steel is used in forged bars that form the main casings of 155mm artillery shells; the contract also covers vendor-managed storage. The Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Space Force are listed as using services.

HF-1 Steel Contract Details

Metallus will supply HF-1 steel as round forged bar under delivery orders placed as DLA needs material. The statement of work sets a five-year maximum of 438.48 million pounds, with the largest planned quantity—104.44 million pounds—in the first year. DLA describes the purchase as a way to reduce the risk that HF-1 steel will be unavailable in the supply chain.

The specified bar is roughly 6.75 inches in diameter and must be produced in the continental United States. Metallus will supply it in production lots of approximately 280,000 pounds, each with samples and a certificate of analysis documenting compliance with material requirements. Government representatives may witness sampling and testing before a lot is accepted for shipment.

Metallus will deliver ordered steel to DLA’s storage location in Columbus, Ohio, within 24 months of each delivery order. The solicitation also includes vendor-managed storage during the five-year contract period.

155mm Ammunition Production Background

HF-1 steel is an input to projectile metal parts, rather than a finished artillery round. The Army has identified the material as used in metal parts common to the M795, M1128 and XM113 155mm projectiles. Its availability therefore matters at an early stage of projectile production, before filling and assembly.

The award follows a separate Army-backed expansion of Metallus’s HF-1 manufacturing capacity. In September 2026, the Army reported that new furnaces and saw-line upgrades had been commissioned at Metallus’s Canton facilities. At full operating capacity, the equipment is expected to produce enough HF-1 steel for more than 120,000 155mm metal parts per month—a measure of parts capacity, not completed ammunition rounds.

Award and Contractor Background

DLA awarded the contract to Metallus through a sole-source acquisition. Its solicitation document identified Metallus as the intended supplier and called for an assessment of whether its proposed material met the statement-of-work requirements. Metallus’s contractor profile is available on HigherGov.

In February 2024, the Army awarded Metallus an agreement to expand HF-1 capacity from 1,500 to 6,720 tons per month. The Army later said the capacity work was funded through a $99 million agreement. According to Army Contracting Command, it was Metallus’s first government agreement as a prime contractor; the company had previously supplied steel to projectile metal-parts prime contractors as a subcontractor.

This award was disclosed by the DoW in its daily press release. Additional contract details will be available on HigherGov in approximately 90 days under SP800026D0032 after the contract is formally disclosed by the government.