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 (DLA) contract worth up to $995 million to supply High Fragmentation 1 (HF-1) steel for DLA Strategic Materials. The five-year, firm-fixed-price contract is intended to give DLA a source of forged steel used in 155mm artillery-shell casings and to support supply for the National Defense Stockpile. The Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Space Force are listed as users. Performance is scheduled for completion on Sept. 24, 2031.

HF-1 Steel Contract Details

Metallus will provide HF-1 steel as 6.75-inch-class round forged bar, a form used for 155mm shell casings. DLA’s statement of work sets a maximum planned quantity of 438.48 million pounds over five years, with annual maximums declining from 104.44 million pounds in the first year to 72.52 million pounds in the fifth. DLA will place orders as needed; the stated quantities do not represent steel already purchased.

The bars must be manufactured in the continental United States, measure 6.7 to 6.9 inches in diameter and be six to 10 feet long. Metallus will produce material in lots of approximately 280,000 pounds, sample and test each lot, and submit a certificate of analysis for government approval before shipment. The government can witness sampling and testing and conduct independent testing to check compliance with the steel specifications.

The solicitation also provides for vendor-managed storage. Metallus must deliver steel ordered under the contract within 24 months of each order to DLA’s storage location in Columbus, Ohio.

155mm Artillery Supply Chain Background

HF-1 steel is an upstream input for artillery-projectile bodies, including the M795 and M1128, according to the Army’s account of its HF-1 capacity expansion. Steel production and testing come before projectile-body manufacturing and final ammunition assembly. The DLA contract’s stated purpose is to reduce the risk that HF-1 steel becomes unavailable in that supply chain.

The Army is also expanding capacity elsewhere in the 155mm production system. In July 2026, it broke ground on a Future Artillery Complex at Iowa Army Ammunition Plant, planned as a 13-building expansion for 155mm ammunition production.

Award and Contractor Background

DLA made the award to Metallus as a sole-source acquisition through its contracting office in Columbus. The agency sought a five-year ordering arrangement so it could purchase HF-1 steel as needed, rather than committing to take the full quantity listed in the solicitation. The Metallus awardee profile provides additional contractor information.

Metallus has also received a related Army investment in steelmaking capacity. In February 2024, the Army awarded the company a prototype agreement for HF-1 production expansion; the Army later valued the three capital investments at $99 million. They funded a bloom reheat furnace, a roller-hearth heat-treat furnace and inline saw-line upgrades at the Canton facility. The equipment was commissioned in August 2026, according to the Army’s September update. That effort funded production equipment, while the new DLA contract provides a vehicle for purchasing steel.

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.