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 Gneneral 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]
On May 29, 2021, an accidental explosion killed two GA employees. [13]
On June 28, 2022, GA and Bataan City officials signed a memorandum of agreement to expand GA's estate in the freeport area. [14]
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. [15]
Ammunition Marking System
Small arms ammunition manufactured by the Government Arsenal can be identified by the headstamp code: "RPA". [18] 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. [19]
| 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. [19] 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. [20]
.30 Carbine & .30-06 Springfield
.38 Special & 9x19mm Parabellum
Cal .45, M1911, Ball
45 ACP Training (Teflon-coated SWC & RN)
7.62×37mm Musang
5.56x45mm Ball (M193)
5.56x45mm Ball (M193), Match (55 gr & 69 gr)
5.56x45mm NATO (M855, SS109) & Blank
7.62×51mm NATO Ball (M80)
7.62×51mm NATO Ball (M80A)
7.62×51mm NATO Blank
7.62×51mm NATO Match (168 gr)
HDPE ammunition crates
