Fallon Range Training Complex
| Fallon Range Training Complex | |
| military area | |
| Name origin: Naval Air Station Fallon | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Nevada |
| Landform Topography |
Great Basin Basin and Range Province |
| Nearest city | Reno, Nevada |
The Fallon Range Training Complex (FRTC) is a United States Navy military area with 4 "separate training ranges [plus] an integrated air defense system consisting of 37 real or simulated radars throughout the Dixie Valley area" of Nevada (the "entire FRTC is instrumented with a Tactical Aircrew Combat Training System")[1] Naval Air Station Fallon is the nearby military base, and the FRTC conducts Carrier Air Wing Training, Advanced Instructor Training, Fleet Replacement Squadron Training, integrated air-to-air and air-to-ground unit level training, joint exercises, and tactics development.[1]
Contents |
Geography [edit]
The FRTC is the land area of 6 target and instrumented areas of 84,000 acres (34,000 ha) used by aircraft operating in airspace which overlays 6,500,000 acres (2,600,000 ha): a Supersonic Operating Area, the Austin MOA/AATCAA (Military Operating Area/Air Traffic Control Assigned Airspace), Gabbs MOA/ATCAA, Ranch MOA, Carson MOA, and Bengus ATCAA.[1] In addition to the ranges, additional land closed to the public "in the event of an off-range ordnance delivery was part of "640 acres east of B-16, 33,400 acres primarily south of B-17, and 6,240 acres (2,530 ha) north and east of B-19", while FRTC federal land open for public use includes "9,760 acres north and southeast of B-16, 5,960 east and west of B-19, 2,765 acres at the Department of Energy Shoal Site, east of B-17, and 68,600 acres north of B-17."[1]
Bravo 16 [edit]
Target Bravo 16 (B-16) is on Range 4803 (R-4803) 9 nmi (17 km; 10 mi) southwest of NAS Fallon between the Red Mountain, Dead Camel Mountains, and Desert Mountains.[1]
Bravo 17 [edit]
Target Bravo 17 (B-17) is on Range 4804 (R-4804) 23 nmi (43 km; 26 mi) east-southeast of NAS Fallon between the Sand Spring Mountains and Fairview Peak[disambiguation needed].[1]
Bravo 19 [edit]
Target Bravo 19 (B-19) is on Range 4810 (R-4810) 16 nmi (30 km; 18 mi) south-southeast of NAS Fallon between the Desert Mountains and the Sand Spring Mountains.[1]
Bravo 20 [edit]
Target Bravo 20 (B-20) at Range 4802 (R-4802) and Range 4813 (R-4813) is ~31 nmi (57 km; 36 mi) north-northeast of NAS Fallon "at Lone Rock … in the Carson Sink".[1] The 2 ranges total 41,007 acres (16,595 ha), and B-20 "is the only Navy range authorized for use with 2,000 pound laser guided weapons".[1]
Fallon Electronic Warfare Range [edit]
The Electronic Warfare Range at Range 4816 (R-4816) and is 23 nmi (43 km; 26 mi) east of NAS Fallon in the southern Dixie Valley between the Stillwater Mountains and the Clan Alpine Mountains.[1]
History [edit]
The Fallon range's "Target Baker (16-21)" was documented in 1957[3]:4-8 and in 1958, the "Navy [was] relinquishing the air space and target" for Target B-20 "in favor of CAA requirements for airways".[2] Its 1958 replacement "Target B-21" was to require withdrawal of 4,960 acres (2,010 ha), and a $10.8 million Navy staging base was proposed at "the instrumented AEC range at Tonopah" for 24,000 sorties.[2]
Planning to integrate the range with the Nellis and Hill/Wendover/Dugway ranges to create the Great Basin's "Continental Operations Range" ended in 1975. [4]
The 1986 Military Lands Withdrawal Act (Public Laws 99-606) reserved lands for use by the Secretary of the Navy for "testing and training for aerial bombing, missile firing, tactical maneuvering, and air support. Public "hearings on the B-20 renewal were held in July of 1998"; and its "Final Environmental Impact Statement was endorsed by the Nevada State Director of the Bureau of Land Management in March 1999."[1] The Joint Tactical Combat Training System (JTCTS) was installed at FRTC in 2001.
References [edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Fallon Range Training Complex (FRTC)". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 2013-02-04.
- ^ a b c Sanger, K.J (30 JAN 1958), Subj: West Coast Weapons Training Requirements (pdf 80-4 of 2001 USACE's 2001 Findings: Tonopah Bombing Range), Record Group 181, Box 9, Real Property Records, 1952-1960. National Archives, Pacific Sierra Region, San Bruno, California: Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, p. 81, retrieved 2013-05-05, "…the NAMTC at Pt. Mugu uses the instrumented AEC range at Tonapah. … acreage made available to the Navy was 1,791,891.69. Of this, 369,280 acres is under permit to the AEC and 213,443 acres is outside of Restricted Area 271. … constructing a minimum staging base at Tonopah [with] Single runway (19,000') … Fallon…Target B-16…B-19…B-20…B-21 …"
- ^ [author(s) not identified] (Final: December 2002, Initial: August 2001) (Archives Search Report--ASR). Findings: Tonopah Bombing Range (Report). Project Number - J09NV1114. USACE St. Louis District. http://corpsfuds.net/reports/OTHER/J09NV1114asrFindings.pdf. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
- ^ Loomis, David (1993). Combat zoning: military land-use planning in Nevada. University of Nevada Press. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-87417-187-7. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
