GA is led by Gerry P. Amante (Director) and Arnold Rafael Y. Depakakibo (assistant director).[3]
History
GA was established through Republic Act No. 1884, which was signed into law on June 22, 1957,[4][5] the Arsenal is a line bureau under the Department of National Defense.[2] It was only on March 7, 1967, that a presidential proclamation on its present site at Limay, Bataan was declared.[6] Accordingly, on October 12, 1967, the groundbreaking materialized at the spot where the statue of General Antonio Luna now stands. The 514th and 564th Engineering Construction Battalions of the 51st Engineering Brigade of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were tasked with the construction of GA facilities.[2]
On August 15, 1971, the first SAA cartridge rolled out of the GA's production assembly line. Three years later, the integrated SAA manufacturing began, with all components - case, primer, propellant powder, and bullet assembled into a complete cartridge.
On February 23, 1995, Republic Act 7898, otherwise known as the AFP Modernization Act, was enacted.[7] Republic Act 7898 likewise provides for the modernization of the Government Arsenal for the development of production capabilities to enhance self-sufficiency in defense requirements. Specifically, Section 12 of this Act mandates that "the government arsenal shall be utilized in the production of basic weapons, ammunition and other munitions for the use of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police (PNP), as well as for the sale and export of products in excess of AFP/PNP requirements."[4]
As part of the modernization effort, the arsenal, through the Department of National Defense, issued an invitation to bid for a Multi-Station Bullet Assembly Machine for 5.56mm M193/M855 in August 2009.[8] This marked a significant expansion of existing production lines. Bids failed on December 4, 2009, and on March 10, 2010.[8]
On November 15, 2012, the Arsenal established its Small Arms Repair and Upgrade Unit (SARUU) to handle the repair, refurbishment, upgrading, and enhancement of the firearms of the military and law enforcement services.[9]
On November 14, 2018, Arsenal signed a co-production agreement with Samyang Comtech Co. Ltd. of South Korea to manufacturing and testing facilities within the Government Arsenal complex for the produce of armor vests and ballistic helmets.[10]
On April 5, 2019, the arsenal broke ground for two major production facilities under co-production agreements with South Korean firms: a force protection equipment manufacturing plant in partnership with Samyang Comtech and a 5.56mm magazine manufacturing plant in partnership with Buhueng Precision.[11][12] The event was attended by Secretary Lorenzana alongside South Korean ambassador Han Dongman, Samyang Comtech Co., Ltd. Inc. Representative Kim Jong-il, BuHueng Precision Co., Ltd. President Min Hung-ki, and Director General Kim Kitaek of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.[13]
On May 29, 2021, Secretary Lorenzana inspected GA's Building 27 or the mixing composition room after an explosion took place where two GA employees were killed, which he deemed to be a workplace accident.[14]
On June 28, 2022, GA and Bataan City officials signed a memorandum of agreement to expand GA's estate in the freeport area.[15]
On January 23, 2023, DND Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. proposed that ammo made by GA be turned into training ammo due to concerns about ammunition wastage.[16]
Location
GA is located in Barangay Lamao, Limay, Bataan on a 370-hectare defense industrial estate.[17] The area has a total of 370.37 hectares.[18]
Government Arsenal (GA) Strategic Plan
This section should include a summary of, or be summarized in, another article. See Wikipedia:Summary style for information on how to incorporate it into this article's main text, or the main text of another article.(January 2023)
The Government Arsenal Strategic Plan will serve as a guide or roadmap for the acquisition of necessary technologies to enhance the GA's manufacturing capability in collaboration with the various defense industry players and the academe.
The GA Strategic Plan focuses on the following:
Phase 1: Self-Reliance and enhancement of Small Arms Production Capacity
1.1) Acquisition of dedicated production line for 5.56mm and 9mm ammunition.
1.2) Construction of additional manufacturing plant and warehouses
2. Facility Support System:
2.1) Improvement of 1.3km road from Main Gate to Dam area
2.2) Development of the road from the Dam area to the Proposed GA-DIE
2.3) Construction of 30-m and 40-m access bridge
2.4) Construction of Perimeter Fence
2.5) Re-piping of Water line
2.6) Construction of Waste Water Treatment Facility
3. Acquisition of capability and establish Cold Rolling Mill for the local production of metallic raw materials;
4. Establishment of manufacturing facility and equipment for the in-house production of explosives material:
4.1) Acquisition of capability and establish a facility for in-country production of Propellant powder;
4.2) Acquisition of capability and establish a facility for the in-country production of Nitroglycerin and Nitrocellulose
4.3) Acquisition of equipment for in-house production of Trinitroresorcinol (TNR)
Phase 2: New Capability Development
5. Acquisition of capability and establish Bomb Melt Loading Facility
6. Acquisition of capability and establish a facility for the in-country production of 5.56mm magazine;
7. Acquisition of capability and establish a facility for the in-country production of Force Protection Equipment
8. Acquisition of necessary equipment and technology for the in-country production/assembly of 40m.
9. Acquisition of necessary equipment and technology for the in-country production/assembly of Cal. 50 ammunition;
10. Acquisition of capability and establish a facility for the manufacture of assault rifle
11. Establishment of Ballistics Testing Center
Phase 3: Other New Capability Development in collaboration with AFP Major Services
12. Collaboration with the Philippine Air Force to establish capability for the in-country production of peculiar air munitions;
13. Coordinate and collaborate with the Philippine Navy for the development of capability in the manufacture of peculiar Naval Ammunition such as; 76mm, 25mm, 20mm and 40mm;
14. Collaboration with various stakeholders to develop the capability for the in-country production of at least the basic mobility equipment for the defense and security establishments;
15. Collaboration with various stakeholders to develop the capability for the production of Combat Clothing and Individual Equipment (CCEI)
16. Collaboration with the various stakeholders to develop capability in the production of communications equipment; and
17. Collaboration with the AF, academe and the other concerned government agencies to develop capability in the production of missile systems.
Ammunition Marking System
Small arms ammunition manufactured by the Government Arsenal can be identified by the headstamp code: "RPA".[19] This acronym stands for "Republic of the Philippines Arsenal".
In 2011, a new standard coding system was adopted by the arsenal following its formulation and final approval in October of the previous year. This replaced the previous coding system which was derived from the product codes of foreign manufacturers using a combination of English and Metric/Système International (SI) units.
The revised system uses simplified alphanumeric designations that make reference to the ammunition's caliber and type for ease of identification while avoiding unnecessary complications caused by the use of mixed English & SI units and designations based on different foreign code systems.[20]
Description
Existing Code
Revised GA Code
M193 5.56MM, BALL
5.56MM M193 BALL
GA 556100
M855 / SS109 5.56MM
5.56MM M855
GA 556110
5.56MM, ARMOUR PIERCING AMMUNITION
-
GA 556200
5.56MM, ARMOUR PIERCING INCENDIARY
-
GA 556300
5.56MM, BLANK
5.56MM BLANK
GA 556400
5.56MM, MATCH (55 GRAINS)
-
GA 556500
5.56MM, MATCH (69 GRAINS)
-
GA 556505
5.56MM, TRACER
-
GA 556600
M80 CARTRIDGE, 7.62MM, BALL, BOAT TAIL
7.62MM M80 BALL
GA 762100
M80A CARTRIDGE, 7.62MM, BALL, SQUARE BASE
7.62MM M80A BALL
GA 762105
7.62MM, ARMOUR PIERCING INCENDIARY
-
GA 762300
7.62MM, BLANK
-
GA 762400
M852 CARTRIDGE, 7.62MM, MATCH
-
GA 762500
7.62MM, TRACER
7.62MM, M62 (GM) TRACER
GA 762600
CAL .45, M1911, BALL
CAL.45 M1911 BALL
GA 45100
CAL .45, M1911, TRAINING SWC (190 GRAINS)
-
GA 45110
CAL .45, M1911, TRAINING RN (210 GRAINS)
-
GA 45115
9MM PARABELLUM, BALL
9MM PARABELLUM BALL
GA 9100
CAL .30 M1
CAL .30 M1 BALL
GA 30100
CAL .30 M2
CAL .30 M2 BALL
GA 30105
CAL .50 M33
CAL .50 M33 BALL
GA 50100
CAL .38 SPL 158 LRN
CAL.38 SPL 158 LRN
GA 38700
To improve the accounting and traceability of government-produced munitions, the Government Arsenal has endeavored to implement laser engraving technology into its ammunition production process as part of the modernization of its production lines, making it the first domestic ammunition manufacturer to do so.[20] This involved the acquisition of a laser marking and packaging machine for use with 5.56mm and 7.62mm ammunition. Information on each ammunition batch produced will be stored in a database allowing for easier accounting of the origin, transfer, receipt, utilization and/or disposal of ammunition.[21]
The 5.56×45mm NATO is a rimless bottlenecked centerfire intermediate cartridge family developed in the late 1970s in Belgium by FN Herstal. It consists of the SS109, L110, and SS111 cartridges. On 28 October 1980, under STANAG 4172, it was standardized as the second standard service rifle cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. Though they are not identical, the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge family was derived from and is dimensionally similar to the .223 Remington cartridge designed by Remington Arms in the early 1960s.
An automatic rifle is a type of autoloading rifle that is capable of fully automatic fire. Automatic rifles are generally select-fire weapons capable of firing in semi-automatic and automatic firing modes. Automatic rifles are distinguished from semi-automatic rifles in their ability to fire more than one shot in succession once the trigger is pulled. Most automatic rifles are further subcategorized as battle rifles or assault rifles.
The ArmaLite AR-15 is a gas-operated assault rifle manufactured in the United States between 1959 and 1964. Designed by American gun manufacturer ArmaLite in 1956, it was based on its AR-10 rifle. The ArmaLite AR-15 was designed to be a lightweight rifle and to fire a new high-velocity, lightweight, small-caliber cartridge to allow infantrymen to carry more ammunition.
The 6.5mm Grendel is an intermediate cartridge jointly designed by British-American armorer Bill Alexander, competitive shooter Arne Brennan and Lapua ballistician Janne Pohjoispää, as a low-recoil, high-precision rifle cartridge specifically for the AR-15 platform at medium/long range. It is an improved variation of the 6.5mm PPC.
The Rifle Factory Ishapore is an Indian state-owned arms manufacturing unit located at Ichhapur in the state of West Bengal.
The Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) is a naval infantry force under the command of the Philippine Navy. The PMC conducts amphibious, expeditionary, and special operations missions.
The Marine Scout Sniper Rifle (MSSR) is a Philippine semi-automatic designated marksman rifle developed by the Philippine Marine Corps for their Marine Scout Snipers. Designed in the mid-1990s to replace severely-outdated battle rifles then used as marksman rifles, the MSSR is essentially an M16A1 that has been heavily modified and accurized to serve as a marksman rifle.
The Type CQ is an unlicensed Chinese variant of the M16 rifle manufactured by Norinco. According to the Norinco website, the rifle is officially known as CQ 5.56.
The SG 540 is a 5.56×45mm NATO assault rifle developed in the early 1970s by Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft of Neuhausen, Switzerland as a private venture primarily destined for export markets and as a potential replacement for the 7.5×55mm Swiss SG 510 automatic rifle known as the Stgw 57 in Swiss service.
The AR-M1 is a Bulgarian assault rifle designed primarily for export. It is a modernized Bulgarian derivative of the AKK, which itself is based on the Soviet AK-47. The AR-M1 can be chambered for both the 5.56×45mm NATO and 7.62×39mm cartridges.
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Initially formed as part of the Philippine Army as the Philippine Army Air Corps (PAAC) in 1935, the PAAC eventually saw combat during World War 2 and was formally separated from the Army in 1947 as a separate service branch of the AFP under Executive Order No. 94. At present, the PAF is responsible for both defending Philippine airspace, and conducting aerial operations throughout the Philippines, such as close air support operations, combat air patrols, aerial reconnaissance missions, airlift operations, helicopter tactical operations, special operations, and aerial humanitarian operations, which includes search and rescue operations. The PAF has also carried out various missions within the country and abroad.
JSC Arsenal AD is a Bulgarian joint-stock company based in Kazanlak, engaged primarily in the manufacture of firearms and military equipment. It is Bulgaria's oldest arms supplier.
The 7.62×51mm NATO is a rimless, straight walled, bottlenecked rifle cartridge. It is a standard for small arms among NATO countries.
The 4.85×49mm is an experimental intermediate firearm cartridge made by the United Kingdom for the Individual Weapon Project, which became the SA80 series of small arms.
UDMC PVAR rifles are Filipino variants of the Armalite AR-15 and AR-10, using the Pneumatic Valve and Rod system manufactured by United Defense Manufacturing Corporation.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Act, officially designated as Republic Act No. 7898, was a Philippine law that was enacted on February 23, 1995, by President Fidel V. Ramos. It was aimed to modernize all branches of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) such as the Philippine Air Force, Philippine Navy, and the Philippine Army. The law was amended by Republic Act No. 10349, also known as the Revised AFP Modernization Act, on December 11, 2012.
The 7.62×37mm Musang is an assault rifle cartridge introduced in 2012 developed and manufactured in the Philippines by the Government Arsenal for use by the military in special operations and close quarter battle.
The GA Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) is a Philippine carbine made by Government Arsenal, based on the M4 carbine/M16 rifle. It uses locally developed 7.62×37mm Musang subsonic and supersonic rounds. It is capable of firing in full auto, although no cyclic rate is given.
Delfin Negrillo Lorenzana, OLH, KGOR is a retired Philippine Army general who currently serves as the Chairman of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority since 2022. He previously served as Secretary of National Defense in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte from 2016 to 2022. He served in the Philippine Army from 1973 to 2004.
↑ "G.A. Bullet-in"(PDF). Official website of the Government Arsenal. Government Arsenal. June 2014. p.9. Archived from the original(PDF) on November 9, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
↑ "G.A. Bullet-in"(PDF). Official website of the Government Arsenal. Government Arsenal. June 2014. p.8. Archived from the original(PDF) on November 9, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
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