HUNTSVILLE — A new 2.2 million square foot defense industrial facility is coming to Muscle Shoals, according to U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn).
The lawmaker revealed the development on Monday while speaking at the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce's 2026 Washington Update.
Tuberville said the plant, which will be responsible for manufacturing integral parts for U.S. submarines, is projected to create between 750 and 1,500 jobs.
"We secured the money [for the facility] in the One Big Beautiful Bill passed last year," Tuberville told the audience. "This is President Trump's dream of moving submarine and ship manufacturing back to the United States of America. We're going to reopen that 2.2 million square foot structure [Barton Railcar Plant] and transform it into a state of the art AI driven precision manufacturing facility. It's going to be one of a kind."
Following the event, Tuberville explained to reporters what drew the Department of Defense's attention to Muscle Shoals over more traditional locations.
"They're going to work very closely with Austal, which makes ships and submarines down in Mobile. The reason we make them here and in Muscle Shoals you put whatever you make on a barge, and you ship it down the river. That's the reason it was very, very intriguing to the Defense Department," added Tuberville.
The legislator said the Barton Railcar Plant will house the new facility.
The U.S. Navy is set to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the defense industrial facility on March 20.
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