For the Pine Bluff Arsenal, the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2026 is a “big win.”
In Arkansas, this legislation prioritizes enhancing and expanding military installations and their missions, including the Arsenal. At this point, the legislation is authorized but not funded.
The Arsenal, located near the eastern edge of White Hall in Jefferson County, would receive increased support through the modernization of its munitions production lines, with possible future additions or expansions, according to the legislation.
The Arsenal produces specialized munitions — such as smoke, incendiary (including white phosphorus), and riot-control rounds — as well as life-saving chemical and biological defense equipment such as masks, filters and shelters.
The legislation also establishes the prohibitions of “actions to shut down” the Arsenal.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Col. Matthew C. Mason is commander of the Arsenal.
“The FY26 NDAA signals a continued, bipartisan commitment to the Army’s Organic Industrial Base,” Mason said Thursday. “For Pine Bluff Arsenal, this legislation provides the predictable funding necessary to modernize our facilities and sustain our specialized capabilities. It ensures we remain a ready and resilient resource for the Joint Force, today and well into the future.”
“Our ongoing infrastructure improvements, including the work on Hoadley Road and the upcoming Plainview Gate project, demonstrate that Pine Bluff Arsenal is ‘investment-ready,” Mason said.
“By modernizing our logistics and security footprint, we prove that we can effectively manage and scale the advanced manufacturing requirements the NDAA may seek to fund,” Mason said.
U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton, both Republicans, were strong supporters, pushing for the passage of the act.
“This year’s defense bill finally provides our troops the tools to defend our nation, and Arkansas will play a key role,” Cotton said in a Dec. 17 press release. “Munitions production at Pine Bluff Arsenal will not only continue, but will expand.”
“This year’s bill also includes my legislation to counter the risks that unidentified drones pose to everything from our military bases to Razorback Stadium,” Cotton said.
This bill also includes much-needed efforts to protect the nation’s critical infrastructure, which is threatened by Communist China and other foreign adversaries, Cotton added.
Boozman said in a Dec. 17 press release that the Arkansas Congressional Delegation has “worked to protect the long-term outlook of PBA and its impact on the nation’s munitions supply chain.”
“This bill unquestionably delivers by emphasizing readiness, lethality, and deterrence while embracing technology and innovation,” Boozman said.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO JEFFERSON COUNTY
White Hall Mayor Noel Foster applauded the news.
“The FY26 NDAA is a big win for the Pine Bluff Arsenal,” Foster said. “I would like to compliment our congressional delegation on their thorough legislative backing to support the arsenal’s future.”
The Arsenal is one of the largest employers in the county and a vital economic engine in White Hall and the surrounding area, Foster said.
Larry E. Wright of LE Wright & Associates PLLC, a consulting engineer for the city of White Hall and an adviser to the White Hall Military Affairs Advisory Committee, agreed.
“It provides for increased capacity and modernization of Arsenal facilities,” Wright said.
Beyond just expanding its munitions programs, with the help of the Arkansas delegation and that of Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the Arsenal could secure a “large program of record or major anchor either through the government or a commercial partnership,” Wright said.
“Many of the military’s supply chain options that are currently manufactured in other countries could be made here,” Wright said.
He said he feels this might include “an existing military program that is looking for a preferred location.”
“This is a critical juncture for the Arsenal and its future,” Wright said.
LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR EXPANSION
For more than five years, the Arsenal has been working on the modernization and security of its Plainview Access Point.
The Arsenal has already secured funding for the design, about $1.8 million, and construction, about $15 million. “We are making significant progress on the Plainview Access Control Point in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,” Mason said.
Plans are underway to route all passenger and commercial traffic through the Plainview Access Point.
The project is currently moving through the following milestones: As of Jan. 5, 2026, 65% of the access point design will be submitted, and the start of a multiagency government review. In April, the design should be about 95% submitted, and 100% by June 5.
According to Cheryl Avery, an Arsenal civilian spokeswoman, approximately 1,000 civilian and military employees and personnel enter the Arsenal daily, and about 11,000 tons of shipments pass through annually.
There was also the completion of a widening and rehabilitation of the Arkansas Highway 256, and the rehabilitation of the roadway’s Caney Creek Bridge, which serves as the Arsenal’s main access road to the Plainview Gate.
AN ECONOMIC CORNERSTONE
Before 2010, the Arsenal employed about 2,000 people in the destruction of its chemical weapons and other military-related manufacturing operations, but the number has dwindled by at least half since then. Some in the community worry about its ability to remain a vital military installation.
“The Arsenal helped White Hall become what it is today,” Foster said.
He added that its viability is critical to the city’s and county’s economic engine and future growth.
The city estimates that 951 direct, indirect and induced jobs are created by the industries located on the post, and the Arsenal generates an annual payroll of about $62 million, and spends approximately $96 million locally and statewide.
“The economic impact is eye-opening,” Foster said.
In May, the U.S. Army secretary expressed plans that could have included downsizing the Pine Bluff Arsenal. Both Cotton and Boozman, along with Rep. Bruce Westerman, pushed back, saying the Arsenal, because of its location, size and unique qualities, should have its missions expanded, not reduced.
