Radford Army Ammunition Plant, Facility of the US Army Joint Munitions Command
Radford Army Ammunition Plant is a large military production facility in southwestern Virginia spanning thousands of acres. The site contains numerous buildings, warehouses, and storage units distributed across the landscape where different types of ammunition and propellants are manufactured for military use.
The facility was built in the early 1940s during World War II and was one of the first plants in the country to produce smokeless powder for weapons. Over the decades it changed operators and was continuously upgraded to manufacture new ammunition types for the Korean War, Vietnam War, and current military operations.
The site is a secured military base with restricted public access located in southwestern Virginia near the town of Radford. The property is not open for casual visits without authorization, though its extensive layout along the New River and surrounding infrastructure can be partially observed from nearby viewpoints.
In February 2025 an explosion damaged part of the facility, yet remarkably no one was injured and safety measures were immediately activated. This event highlighted how modern safety protocols implemented after earlier accidents in the 1970s and 1980s continue to protect workers and contain potential hazards.
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