ROF Radway Green
The former Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF), Radway Green, now part of BAE Systems Global Combat Systems, manufactures small arms ammunition for the British armed forces. Located just outside the Cheshire town of Alsager in the UK, it has existed since 1940 and has produced a wide range of ammunition including the following calibres:
- .38 S&W - (Mk IIz ball) -
- .303 British - (ball, tracer, incendiary) -
- .280 British - ('7 mm Mk 1z' - small amounts for developmental purposes of the Enfield EM2 in 1950s) -
- 9mm NATO - (standard FMJ, starting in the Second World War and still in production)
- 5.56x45mm NATO - (standard FMJ, tracer and blank ammunition)
- 7.62x51mm NATO - (standard FMJ, tracer and blank ammunition)
- 4.6x30mm - (standard FMJ) for the Heckler & Koch MP7
All ammunition currently produced at Radway Green is NATO certified i.e. bears the NATO roundel as part of the headstamp on the cartridge case surrounding the primer. Additionally, headstamps bear the ammunition type ID, the initials "RG" plus the year of production e.g. "L18A1 RG 11" for 5.56x45mm blank cartridges manufactured at Radway Green in 2011. Headstamps on cartridges manufactured during the Second World War and in pre-NATO years bear the initials "RG", the year of production and the broad arrow to signify MOD property.
The ordnance factory has its own firing range, where batches of ammunition are periodically test fired from a variety of weapons to check for proper function and performance within contract requirements such as reliability, consistency and accuracy, etc.
A private, dedicated spur once led off the main former LMS railway line to facilitate transfer coal and other raw materials inwards and the final product outbound.
On the 20 August 2008 the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) announced a £2bn contract with BAE Systems to supply British forces with small arms and medium calibre ammunition.
Read more about ROF Radway Green: Thefts From Factory
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