In which era did the U.S. Army Ordnance play a central role in mass-producing and distributing weapons for global conflict?

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World War II era is when the U.S. Army Ordnance played the central role in mass-producing and distributing weapons for a global conflict. The Ordnance Department massively expanded its production and supply network, turning civilian industry into war production and standardizing weapons and ammunition for widespread use. It ran ordnance plants, arsenals, and depots and coordinated with private manufacturers to deliver rifles, machine guns, artillery, tanks, bombs, and other munitions to front-line units across Europe and the Pacific. The scale required centralized planning and logistics to ensure troops had reliable, compatible equipment at the right time and place. This level of nationwide industrial mobilization and global distribution is most closely associated with the World War II era, whereas later conflicts did not hinge on the same scale of mass production.