The Government Arsenal (GA) is an agency of the Philippine government under the
Department of National Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to:
Current departments of defence
* Department of Defence (Australia)
* Department of National Defence (Canada)
* Department of Defence (Ireland)
* Department of National Defense (Philippi ...
, responsible for the production of basic weaponry and ammunition for the
Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ( fil, Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy (including the Marine Corps). The P ...
(AFP), and the
Philippine National Police
The Philippine National Police ( fil, Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas, acronymed as PNP) is the armed national police force in the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Current ...
(PNP), among others, and for the sale and export of products in excess of AFP/PNP requirements.
History
The Government Arsenal (GA) is located on a 370-
hectare
The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is a ...
defense industrial estate in Lamao,
Limay, Bataan
Limay, officially the Municipality of Limay ( tl, Bayan ng Limay), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bataan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 78,272 people.
Limay is accessible via the Bataan Provi ...
, about 120 km from
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
by land, 70 km from
Subic, and 90 km from
Clark
Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educate ...
. Just three km from the Port of Limay, the Arsenal is strategically situated near the
Petron
Petron Corporation is the largest oil refining and marketing company in the Philippines, supplying more than a third of the country's oil requirements. It operates a refinery in Limay, Bataan with a rated capacity of . From the refinery, Petro ...
Bataan Refinery, the Bataan Combined Cycle Power Plant, the
National Power Corporation
The National Power Corporation ( fil, Pambansang Korporasyon sa Elektrisidad, also known as Napocor, NPC or National Power), is a Philippine government-owned and controlled corporation that is mandated to provide electricity to all rural areas o ...
Plant, the Petro-Chemical Complex, and the
Freeport Area at
Mariveles, Bataan
Mariveles, officially the Municipality of Mariveles ( tl, Bayan ng Mariveles), is a first class municipality in the province of Bataan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 149,879 people.
History
Founded as a ''p ...
. To sustain its operations, the GA presently maintains and operates 124 buildings and structures sprawled over 70 hectares of land.
A creation of
Republic Act
This article contains a partial list of Philippine laws.
Sources of Philippine laws
;Notes
: *Customs may be considered as supplementary source of law, however, customs which are contrary to law, public order or public policy shall not be ...
No. 1884 which was signed into law on June 22, 1957, the Arsenal is a line bureau under the
Department of National Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to:
Current departments of defence
* Department of Defence (Australia)
* Department of National Defence (Canada)
* Department of Defence (Ireland)
* Department of National Defense (Philippi ...
. However, it was only about a decade later, on March 7, 1967, that a presidential proclamation on its present site at
Limay, Bataan
Limay, officially the Municipality of Limay ( tl, Bayan ng Limay), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bataan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 78,272 people.
Limay is accessible via the Bataan Provi ...
was declared. Accordingly, on October 12, 1967, the groundbreaking materialized at the spot where the statue of
General Antonio Luna now stands. Site preparations were subsequently undertaken by the 514th and 564th Engineering Construction Battalions of the 51st Engineering Brigade of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Construction of essential buildings and facilities then followed along with training abroad of selected military and newly hired civilian personnel on the manufacture of small arms ammunition (SAA).
On August 15, 1971, or fourteen (14) years after the enactment of the Republic Act 1884, the first SAA cartridge rolled out of the GA's production assembly line. Three years later, the integrated SAA manufacture began, with all the components - case, primer, propellant powder, and bullet assembled into a complete cartridge - manufactured in the arsenal.
As a strategic resource, the arsenal is envisioned to be a center for defense industries to meet domestic requirements and supply the world market. In line with this vision, the GA explored in the early 1980s, the possibility of exporting excess production, improving ammunition technology, and expanding the capability for weapons production as called for in its charter. However, the impediments under the then existing laws prevented any real progress in this direction.
Modernization
On February 23, 1995, Republic Act 7898, otherwise known as the
AFP Modernization Act
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 Ar ...
, was enacted. 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
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ( fil, Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy (including the Marine Corps). The P ...
and the
Philippine National Police
The Philippine National Police ( fil, Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas, acronymed as PNP) is the armed national police force in the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Current ...
(PNP), and for the sale and export of products in excess of AFP/PNP requirements." Furthermore, the GA is authorized to use such production facilities as it may own or be provided under the law or as it may arrange under a joint venture, co-production, or similar arrangements with local and foreign entities.
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.
[ ] This marked a significant expansion of existing production lines. According to a supplemental bulletin, bids for this acquisition were to be opened on 4 December 2009.
[ ]
On 15 November 2012, the Arsenal established its Small Arms Repair and Upgrade Unit (SARUU) to handle repair, refurbishment, upgrading and enhancement of the firearms of the military and law enforcement services.
On 14 November 2018, the Arsenal signed a co-production agreement with Samyang Comtech Co. Ltd. of South Korea to manufacturing and testing facilities within the Government Arsenal complex to produce armor vests and ballistic helmets.
On 5 April 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.
Government Arsenal (GA) Strategic Plan
The Government Arsenal Strategic Plan will serve as a guide or roadmap in 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 1.3 km 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".
This acronym stands for "Republic of the Philippines Arsenal".
In 2011, a new standard coding system was adopted by the arsenal following 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.
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.
This involved the acquisition of a laser marking and packaging machine for use with 5.56mm and 7.62mm ammunition. This will allow the marking of individual cartridges after their assembly and the labeling of ammunition packaging. 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.
Images
See also
*
GA 10" Personal Defense Weapon (PDW)
*
7.62×37mm Musang
*
Marine Scout Sniper Rifle
The Marine Scout Sniper Rifle or MSSR is a semi-automatic designated marksman rifle developed from the Colt M16A1 rifle by the Philippine Marine Corps Scout Snipers due to the lack of a dedicated precision rifle which is used in the Armed Forces ...
References
External links
GA Homepage
{{authority control
Military facilities in Bataan
Firearm manufacturers of the Philippines
Government-owned and controlled corporations of the Philippines