Location and History

Location

The Radford Army Ammunition Plant (RFAAP) is located in the mountains of southwest Virginia in Pulaski and Montgomery Counties. RFAAP consists of two noncontiguous units: the Main Manufacturing Area and the New River Unit.

The Main Manufacturing Area is approximately 5 miles northeast of Radford, 10 miles west of Blacksburg, and 47 miles southwest of Roanoke. The New River Unit lies about 6 miles west of the Main Manufacturing Area, near Dublin.

RFAAP lies in a series of narrow valleys typical of the eastern Appalachian Mountains, oriented northeast-southwest. The valley spans about 25 miles in length and narrows from 8 miles at the southeast end to 2 miles at the northeast end. The New River divides the Main Manufacturing Area, with the "Horseshoe Area" located within a river meander.

History

Construction at the current RFAAP began in 1940, anticipating the U.S. involvement in World War II. Initially, it included a smokeless powder plant (Radford Ordnance Works) and a loading plant (New River Ordnance Works) for artillery and mortar ammunition.

These facilities operated separately until 1945, when Radford Ordnance Works was renamed “Radford Arsenal” and incorporated the New River site as a subpost. In 1950, the New River Unit became an integral part of the Arsenal, which was later renamed “Radford Ordnance Plant” in 1961 and “RFAAP” in 1963.

RFAAP has been primarily manufacturing propellants since 1941 and produced TNT intermittently since 1968. TNT facilities have been on standby since the mid-1980s. The working population at RFAAP varies depending on mission requirements.