Alliant Techsystems (ATK, Rocket Center, W.Va.) announced on Oct. 20 that it is opening two new high-tech composite manufacturing facilities at the Allegany Ballistics Laboratory (ABL) in Rocket Center, W. Va. The West Virginia Advanced Filament Winding Facility will be home to ATK's new composite rotor tube manufacturing operations in support of United States Enrichment Corp. (USEC) Inc. The facility is designed to support USEC's American Centrifuge Uranium Enrichment Technology Program. The second facility, the Mountain State Ceramic Matrix Composites Manufacturing Center will expand ATK's capacity to produce lightweight composite aircraft parts for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and other-high performance military applications.

"The Allegany Ballistics Laboratory has become a national asset for the production of critical military systems including ammunition, guided weapons, precision fusing, tactical propulsion, and advanced composites. Soon, we will be producing composite cases for the nuclear industry, vital to our Navy and to the nation," said Jack Cronin, president of ATK Mission Systems Group. The pair of new manufacturing facilities are expected to enter production by 2009. ATK expects the new operations will bring more than 200 new jobs to Mineral County.