Arkansas defense installations and manufacturers are positioned for additional investment, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton said Friday, pointing to ongoing discussions about new operations at Pine Bluff Arsenal and job growth tied to projects in the southern part of the state.
Cotton spoke during a Friday morning interview with Deltaplex Radio, one day after visiting the Pine Bluff facility with U.S. Sen. John Boozman, acting Secretary of the Army Adam Telle and representatives of South Korean defense company Hanwha. The visit examined the arsenal’s role in defense production and possible opportunities to expand activity there.
Pine Bluff discussions continue
Cotton said talks are continuing over whether additional defense manufacturing operations could be brought to Pine Bluff Arsenal. He described the facility as part of a broader effort to maintain and develop Arkansas’ defense-industrial base.
The arsenal’s future was a central subject of the visit, which brought federal officials and Hanwha representatives together at the Jefferson County installation. Cotton discussed the possibility of further development after the visit, but the information available identifies the additional manufacturing work as under discussion rather than as an announced project.
- Pine Bluff Arsenal: Officials and Hanwha representatives reviewed the installation’s defense-manufacturing role and possible additional operations.
- South Arkansas: Cotton said investments involving Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics are creating hundreds of jobs.
- Fort Smith area: Ebbing Air National Guard Base is training Polish pilots through an F-35 mission, with additional countries expected to participate as early as next year.
Projects extend beyond Pine Bluff
Cotton also cited defense-related activity in other parts of Arkansas. He said Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics are making investments in southern Arkansas that are producing hundreds of jobs. He described the effects as extending beyond direct employment to communities in south and southeast Arkansas.
Near Fort Smith, Cotton said the F-35 pilot training mission at Ebbing Air National Guard Base is currently training pilots from Poland. He said he visited the installation the previous week with a Polish diplomatic representative and that training could expand as early as next year to pilots from Greece, Finland, Germany and Singapore.
The Pine Bluff discussions and the projects cited by Cotton place defense manufacturing and military aviation training among the Arkansas economic activities he addressed during the interview. The comments came during a conversation that also covered the Nov. 3 general election, in which Cotton is seeking reelection. He said early voting would continue through Monday, Nov. 2, before Election Day.
