School of War Ep 216: Will Somerindyke on Making Munitions in America
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Jul 22, 2025 Will Somerindyke, Chairman of Regulus Global and CEO of UNION, is passionate about revitalizing the U.S. defense industrial base. He shares fascinating insights into transforming Regulus from a support group to a comprehensive manufacturer in defense contracting. The conversation highlights the intricate logistics of munitions production amid global conflicts, the need for domestic manufacturing, and innovative methods like forging versus casting. Somerindyke underscores the importance of flexibility and modernization in ensuring national security.
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Will's Navy Family Roots
- Will Somerindyke grew up in a Navy family in Virginia Beach but didn't initially plan to enter defense manufacturing.
- He transitioned from finance and media into defense starting with work in South Africa before founding Regulus in 2012.
155 Shell Manufacturing Complexity
- Manufacturing munitions like 155 shells involves complex supply chains for parts and chemicals.
- Rebuilding this supply chain in the U.S. is a slow process constrained by material and infrastructure availability.
Critical Munitions Components Outsourced
- The U.S. does not produce some key munitions components like TNT or certain propellants domestically.
- This reliance on foreign sources complicates scale-up of munitions manufacturing in crises.