With Corporate re-organisation by Thales (France) of its Australian Subsidiary (ADI) and complete ownership, the old ADI Corporate Name is History,( for ammo,allthough bthe Headstamp “ADI” remains in use and there are some novelties in Progress.
Courtesy of Defence Land Expo 2014 ( Sept.22-27) I was able to sight several new Australia Munitions Products…7,62 F4 Ball cases, (ADI14) 7,62 ?F62? Tracer, orange Tip, 5,56 Ball, F1( M193) and F1A1 (SS109); 5,56 Ball F9 ( High Energy composite projectile) and .50 Cal Ball. All with 2014 dates.
Cases also show a Longer Annealing signature ( Electric Induction) of a silver-grey consistency going almost Half-way down both the 7,62 and 5,56 cases. All still produced at Benalla (North Victoria) on a Mixture of “New LeChaussee” and Manurhin machinery.
the Only calibre missing is 9mm Para, which ceased in 1993; all supplies now come from WCC (Winchester) and CBC (“MagTech”) of Brazil.(usage is too small to make them here)
Manufacture of M103 20mm has also slowed down ( two years ago) with the scrapping of the F-111 ( and their respective Vulcan Cannon)…Yes, scrapped…Avionics stripped out, wings Guillotined, and Buried in a disused Open-cut Coal Mine near Brisbane…They weren’t allowed to “sell on” or even return them to the USA for the “BoneYard”…a couple have been retained for Museums (but gutted of engines, Guns, etc.). The 20mm is still offered for “Phalanx” anti-Missile High capacity Gun Turrets.
25mm Bushmaster ammo is supplied by General Dynamics (USA and Spain), with Training ammo being made at Benalla.
Go to the website “Australian Munitions” www.australian-munitions.com.au for further details.
Doc AV