Letterkenny Army Depot

Letterkenny Army Depot (formerly, Letterkenny Ordnance Depot)
Part of U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM)
Letterkenny Township, Pennsylvania
TypeMaintenance, modification, storage, and demilitarization operations of tactical missiles and ammunition
Site information
OwnerUnited States Army
ConditionOperational
Site history
Built1942

Letterkenny Army Depot (originally Letterkenny Ordnance Depot), the Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence (CITE) for Air Defense and Tactical Missile Systems, was established in early 1942.[1][2] Its leadership began recruiting civilian personnel in July 1942.[3]

The Depot is under the command structure of the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM). The facilities at Letterkenny are used to conduct maintenance, modification, storage, and demilitarization operations of tactical missiles and ammunition.

Located primarily in Letterkenny Township and extending into Greene Township and Hamilton Township, all in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, just northwest of the borough of Chambersburg, the Depot consists of nearly 18,000 acres (71 km2). It is the largest employer in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and adds over one-quarter of a billion dollars annually to the region's economy.

Letterkenny has unique tactical missile repair capabilities repairing a variety of Department of Defense (DoD) missile systems, including the MIM-104 PATRIOT missile and its ground support and radar equipment. More recently, Letterkenny expanded its product line to include designation of the CITE for Power Generation for the Army, the overhaul of tactical wheeled vehicles (HMMWVs), material handling equipment (7.5-ton cranes), and Mobile Kitchen Trailers. In 2007, during the Iraq conflict, Letterkenny began building new Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) armored vehicles in partnership with BAE Systems, and in 2010 was designated the Joint Depot Source of Repair (JDSOR) for Route Clearance Vehicles for the DoD.

  1. ^ "Firm to Rush Construction of REA Lines" and "Police Chief Hunter Quits Here; Takes Position on Letterkenny Ordnance Job." Shippensburg, Pennsylvania: The News-Chronicle, January 20, 1942, p. 1 (subscription required).
  2. ^ "Labor Supply in Pace with Depot Needs." Shippensburg, Pennsylvania: The News-Chronicle, April 17, 1942, p. 1 (subscription required).
  3. ^ "Army to Hire Civilians on Nearby Depot." Shippensburg, Pennsylvania: The News-Chronicle, July 3, 1942, p. 1 (subscription required).