Pacific Missile Test Center

Map of the range

History

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It was originally built for anti-aircraft training during World war two and it developed the base shifted from traditional anti-aircraft munitions into testing anti-aircraft missiles. It was also where most of the missiles in the 1950s and 1960s were designed and tested. This includes the Aim-7 Sparrow, Aim 54 Phoenix , Regulus Surface to the surface and the  AGM -12 Bullpup.

Facilities

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This base is where most of the aircraft are launched for testing on the range. It is home to the test squadron and also other groups including the Air National Guard. This was also the airfield that US President Ronald Reagan flew into when he came to visit his ranch in Santa Barbara.

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The base is home to not only construction battalions that are used to create targets and facilities for the range. The Island of San Nicolas was transferred from the Naval Air Warfare Center to the base in 2004.

Weapons Tested

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Air to ground

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Walleye,SLAM-ER ,Standoff Land-Attack Missile,Laser Guided Bombs,Joint Stand-Off Weapon,Hellfire,Maverick,Low Collateral Damage Bomb,AGM-84A,High-Speed Antiradiation Missile,General Purpose Bombs,Advanced Anti Radiation Guided Missile

Air to air

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Sidewinder, Sparrow,Phoenix ,Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile

High Energy Weapons[1]

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The range is used to test and develop high energy weapons used to destroy Land and Air targets. The range is permitted to use up to 1 Megawatt weapons. The Range has tested and evaluated high energy weapons on both land and sea targets. They have tested high energy lasers to disable small boats. The laser was located on another ship.

Sea to Air

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Standard Missile,Rolling Airframe Missile,RGM-84A surface-launched,Evolved SeaSparrow Missile

Sea to Ground

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ICBMs,Tomahawk,Vertical Launch Asroc,Trident

Aircraft Used for testing

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AH-1, AV-8B, EA-6B, EA-18G, E-2C, F/A-18, EP-3E, JSF, MH-60, UAS, F-22

Launch Vehicles

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Pogo Hi, Asp, Loki Dart, Coyote,Nike Cajun, Nike Asp, R-17, Polaris TV, Aerobee 100, Arcas, Loki,Nike Zeus, Kiva/Hopi, Sparoair II, Clean Sweep III, Tomahawk, Sparrow Arcas,Judi-Dart, Sparoair III, Rocketsonde, Terrier LEAP, SR19 1999 Sparo Air I

VX-30 - Bloodhounds[2]

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VX-30 uses the aircraft to launch and track munitions for the range. VX-30 have use the F-4 Phantom(retired), F-14(retired), F-18(retired),s-3 Viking(retired) ,P3 orion(active) and C-130s(active). This squadron is dedicated to this range and can be used for tracking and acquisition of targets also[3]. VX-30 has conducted missions not only in the range but the Reagan Test Site in Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, to the waters off the Florida coast, supporting the Missile Defense Agency And the National Aeronautics And Space Administration. The squadron is also testing and evualition for the Us Navy.

Targets

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US Naval self defence ship[4].

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This ship is owned by the US Navy and is the refurbished USS Paul F. Foster (dd-964). This ship is a fully functioning ship with the only difference being that it is completely remote controlled. Being Unmanned It avoids safety constraints. This means the ship can be a weapons test platform for live missiles. This ship will test it by putting an anti-missile platform on the ship and tow a decoy. The Missile will be aimed at the Decoy and the Ship will try and defend the towed decoy. have tested the MK 57 Sea Sparrow, Rolling Airframe Missile, An/slq-32 ESM And the Phalanx Close-In Weapon System.

Aerial Targets

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The range offers both Supersonic and Subsonic targets. This includes both BQM-74E, BQM-34S,AQM-37C,GQM-163A, QRQ-2B Flycatcher. These are used for anti-Aircraft testing and is launched from Naval Air Station Point Mugu and also from San Nicolas Island. These can be used to simulate enemy targets and are capable of emitting different radar cross section to simulate different aircraft. They also offer the Qf-4 Phantom 2 for testing and evuation of live and dummy missles.

Sea targets[5]

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The range also offers smaller boats for testing and evaluation of weapons. These are all remote controlled so that live weapons can be used. The range offers the HSMST, QST, FACT, and MST. These are capable of testing weapons that are air launched and also ones from land.

San Nicolas Island[6]

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The island is used to testing of munitions and as a live range. It supplies a realistic marine environment, Remote and Fixed telemetry sites, 50,000 pound missile rail( located at 33.264278,-119.539), target launcher, Inert Missile impact area, 10,00 foot airfield for c-5 and c-17 and dedicated ordnance and range staff[7]. This gives them the ability to launch and control a wide variety of missiles, aerial and surface targets from a controlled secluded island. It was also one of the 8 candidates for the first detonation of the atomic bomb before White Sands Proving ground was selected for it. During WW2 there were stationed aircraft on the island Including j4f Widgeon Amphibians and TBF Avengers[8]. In 1946 the Island became strictly used as an auxiliary landing field for the island. The island is now used for mostly target acquisition and live training for the US navy. They have continued to upgrade the island with new telemetry radar facilitys.

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Electronic targets

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The range is capable of simulate GPS, radar and Active Denial Systems for testing weapons survivability testing. This is used for testing of anti radar and anti gps targets.

1Directed Energy

1) it was a pdf

2) this was from a government website

3) A) it was from the government. it is most likey not going to be bias coming from them

B) they are a credible source because they are writing on behalf of the Navy. They have access to the Military's data on the topic

2 VX-30

1)this was a website from a military site

2) it was from a military website

3) A) Since it was from a military site and funded by them it probably wasn't bias.

B) It is speaking on behalf of the military and has access the military's data

3) VX-30- Range test

This was a subsection of the previous source and has the same answers as the previous catagory

4) DDG-31

1) it is a website

2) it is a government website that discusses military info

3) A) it is run by the government so it probably doesnt have any bias

B) The writer has access to the government information so it is reliable

5) Aerial Threat...

1) a navy website

2) the website is run by the Navy

3) A) Since it is a branch of the military this website probably isnt bias

B) The creator of this site had Navy's information so it is most likely a credible source

6) Navy Aux Air Station

1) This is a museum website

2) this site is managed by a museum

3) A) the museum that released this info is probably not bias because they are museum

B) It is a museum that released this data so it is probably credible

7) San Nicolas Island

1) a website run by the Navy

2) the Navy is in charge of this site

3) A The navy is a government entity so it is reliable

B The Navy is part of the gov so it is not bias

8) Navy Aux air station

this is just a different page of source 6 so it has the same answers as that source

  1. ^ "Directed Energy T&E" (PDF). http://www.navair.navy.mil. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  2. ^ "VX-30 - Home". www.navair.navy.mil. Retrieved 2017-04-08.
  3. ^ "VX-30 - Range Operations Department". www.navair.navy.mil. Retrieved 2017-04-08.
  4. ^ Pike, John. "DDG-31 Decatur / EDDG-31 Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS)". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2017-04-05.
  5. ^ "Aerial Threat and surface targets Facilities". http://www.navair.navy.mil. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  6. ^ "Naval Auxiliary Air Station, San Nicolas Island". www.militarymuseum.org. Retrieved 2017-04-05.
  7. ^ "San Nicolas Island" (PDF). http://www.navair.navy.mil. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  8. ^ "Naval Auxiliary Air Station, San Nicolas Island". www.militarymuseum.org. Retrieved 2017-04-08.