The explosion at a Tennessee bomb factory could have a ripple effect on already-stretched U.S. weapons production, experts told The Post.

The Oct. 10 blast at the Accurate Energetic Systems facility in Bucksnort, about 90 minutes west of Nashville, killed 16 and destroyed the factory. The facility manufactured explosives used in landmines and other munitions for the Army and Navy.

Defense experts are now assessing the worrisome potential impact of the loss on military supply chains, which have already been strained by the war in Ukraine and Israel’s two-year battle against Hamas in Gaza.

Federal authorities are exploring ways to break through supply chain problems while monitoring “how any production issues might possibly impact current needs,” Tennessee GOP Rep. Scott DesJarlais, a House Armed Services Committee member, told The Post.

Those needs include replenishing drawn-down U.S. stockpiles and resupplying allies amid heightened security concerns, especially as the brutal four-year war in Ukraine drags on.

“Energetics [munitions like bombs that produce chemical reactions] have been a major bottleneck in munitions production,” said Mark Cancian of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

The Accurate Energetic Systems facility made explosives crucial to the war efforts undertaken by U.S. allies, who have already experienced shortages in heavy weapons and ammunition. The company supplies the explosive components for C4 explosives, landmines, and other munitions. It was contracted by the Navy for demolition devices and, on Sept. 23, inked a $119 million contract with the Army for TNT. Accurate also provided ammunition to Canada.

In related news, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Washington on Friday to meet with President Trump, seeking sophisticated weaponry such as U.S.-made Tomahawk missiles.

The U.S. has provided four million artillery shells to Ukraine over the course of the war. Under orders from President Trump, the government has shifted to selling military equipment directly to NATO allies, who can then transfer it to Ukraine.

The White House downplayed the impact of the factory explosion on arming Ukraine through third parties. “The administration’s ability and effort to execute President Trump’s historic deal to facilitate the sale of U.S.-made weapons to NATO allies has not changed,” an official said.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/18/us-news/tennessee-factory-explosion-adds-to-weapons-production-bottleneck/