Woomera Test Range

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RAAF Woomera Test Range
Type	Aerospace (military/civil)
Location	near Woomera in Australia
Operator	Royal Australian Air Force's Aerospace Operational Support Group
Status	Active
In use	Cold war–present

The RAAF Woomera Test Range is an Australian strategic national test and evaluation asset operated by the Department of Defence. The operational manager of the Range is the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Administratively, the RAAF Woomera Test Range is a Wing-level unit of the RAAF Aerospace Operational Support Group (AOSG) based at RAAF Edinburgh in Adelaide, South Australia.

Physically, the RAAF Woomera Test Range is a 'capability' that includes the following:

Royal Australian Air Force Elements:

• Headquarters, Woomera Test Range (based at RAAF Base Edinburgh, Adelaide, South Australia, with a permanent Range Operations support element based at the Defence Support Centre in Woomera itself)
• the Woomera Prohibited Area (WPA),
• the RAAF Woomera Airfield (YPWR) - which includes the 'Evetts Field' satellite airfield at Koolymilka,
• Woomera Restricted Airspace (WRX),
• the RAAF Woomera Test Range Safety and Control Centre located at 30°56′S 136°30′E / 30.933°S 136.5°E / -30.933; 136.5 (Koolymilka),
• all test and evaluation (T&E) trials sites and specially instrutmented test ranges,
• a number of air weapons ranges, target and explosive ordnance (EO) demolition sites,
• the National Electronic Warfare Test Range, and
• Australia's national Space vehicle launching facilities (with a 600km+ centreline pointing north-west from the Koolymilka rangehead area).

Defence Support Group Elements:

• The Woomera Defence Village (situated in the south-east corner of the WPA)
• the Nurrungar Prohibited Area, and
• Camp Rapier.

[edit] References

• Air Force News Our Vital Wasteland
• BAE Systems Test Facility Official Website
  • range map