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• F-22s make mark at Red Flag
• 'Top Gun' instructor helps with Raptor integration
• U.S. Predator - unmanned, lethal, rarely grounded
• Nellis AFB Predator Squadron is Activated
• Flight control system malfunction caused F/A-22 Raptor crash

Nellis is a major focal point for advanced combat aviation training. Its mission is accomplished through an array of aircraft, including fighters, bombers, refuelers, and aircraft used for transport, close-air-support, command-and-control and combat search-and-rescue.
The Nellis work force of about 9,500 military and civilians makes it one of the largest single employers in Southern Nevada. The total military population numbers more than 40,000, including family members and military retirees in the area.
ore than 40,000 sorties a year are flown from this southern Nevada facility. The base hosts world-class exercises in RED, GREEN, and BLUE FLAGs. The AIR WARRIOR exercises provide extraordinary training in the Army's Air-Land Battle doctrine and exceptional education in close air support for both air and ground forces.
The USAF Weapons School renders the most advanced weapons instructor courses in the world, and now includes fighters, bombers, helicopters, intelligence, and space. The Nellis support team performs deployments around the world, exporting its enormous expertise. The base hosts visiting aircraft from almost every free nation in the world, and thousands of distinguished guests a year.
It expends over 40 percent of the Air Force's live munitions, and 75 percent of Air Combat Command's live munitions. The base has a lively, sometimes hectic pace and demands the best from all who work to accomplish the mission.

The base contains three major functional areas:

• Area I on the main base includes the airfield and most of the mission support functions. The commissary, exchange and some housing are located in Area I.
• Area II is located east of Area I and houses the munitions area of the base.
• Area III lies across Las Vegas Blvd from Area I. Housing, the base hospital, and open space comprise most of Area III.

As of 1990 a significant number of nuclear weapons were stored at Area 2, a highly guarded part of Nellis AFB at the foot of Sunrise Mountain also known as Nellis Area II and Lake Mead Base. The area consists of 790 acres, 75 specialized munitions storage igloos, 15 maintenance and support facilities, 26 miles of roadways, and 44 vehicles of various types. The site is one of three Air Force central nuclear storage areas in the United States, along with Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, NM, and Barksdale AFB in Bossier City, LA. The 3096th Aviation Depot Squadron based at Nellis AFB, subsequently redesignated the 896th Munitions Squadron, is responsible for Area II operations.

Nellis Range Complex (NRC) and Nellis Air Force Range (NAFR)

The 99th Range Group (ACC) operates, maintains, and develops four geographically separated electronic scoring sites, an instrumentation support facility, and the 3.1-million-acre Nellis Range Complex, including two emergency/divert airfields. It formulates concepts and advocates requirements to support Departments of Defence and Energy advanced composite training, tactics development, electronic combat, testing, and research and development. Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) is formally referred to as the Nellis Air Force Range.

The 99th Range Squadron (ACC) operates, maintains, and develops the Nellis Range Complex, comprising 3.1 million acres and 12,000 square miles of airspace. It supports advanced composite force training, tactics development, and testing. It coordinates operational and support matters with MAJCOMs, Departments of Defence, Energy, and Interior, as well as other federal, state, and local government agencies to meet a broad spectrum of range user requirements. The 99th Range Squadron commands two detachments: Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field, which manages Nellis' Southern Ranges, and Tonopah Test Range Airfield, which manages Nellis' Northern Ranges.

The 99th Range Support Squadron (ACC) operates, maintains, and develops four geographically separated electronic scoring sites at Belle Fourche, SD; La Junta, CO; Dugway, UT; and Harrison, AR, as well as an instrumentation support facility located at Ellsworth AFB, SD. It coordinates operational and support matters to meet advanced composite force training, tactics development, electronic combat, and testing program requirements. It acquires and manages contract support for operations, maintenance, instrumentation, and communications systems.

The 99th Range Group also acts as the ACC lead range advocate to provide centralized expertise for the development of ACC test and training ranges as directed by HQ ACC. The Range Group carries out its charge through the efforts of some 600 contractors and nearly 300 military and civil service personnel.

The Nellis Range Complex (NRC) has been designated a Major Range and Test Facility by the Department of Defence (DoD), it provides the most realistic integrated threat simulator environment in the world. In addition to the wide assortment of SAMS, AAA's, and acquisition radars operated by Range Squadron personnel from 39th Intelligence Squadron, maintain and operate a variety of radar and communications jamming equipment.

The five geographical areas of the Nellis Range Complex consist of: Restricted Areas R-4806, primarily used for testing and munitions training; R-4807, used for electronic combat and munitions training; R-4808, used by the Nevada Test Site; R-4809, used primarily as an electronic combat range; and the Desert Military Operating Area, used for air-to-air training.

The NRC overlays large portions of Clark, Lincoln, and Nye counties in southern Nevada and small portions of Iron and Washington counties in southwest Utah. Land uses in this area include the military land use area of the Nellis Air Force Range [NAFR].

The Nevada Test Site, administered by the DOE, is contiguous with the NAFR in the south-western part of the NRC. Public access to the NAFR and the Nevada Test Site is highly restricted, although some areas support grazing leases. The NAFR is used for training, testing, and weapons evaluation operations for the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, National Guard, Navy, DOE, and reserve forces. Target complexes with bombing circles and triangles, and simulated runways, airfields, and convoys are situated on parts of the NAFR.

Detachment 1 of the 99th Range Squadron is responsible for supporting all ACC activities at Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field and the Southern Ranges of the NAFR. They direct support of DoD, Department of Energy (DOE) research, development, and testing programs. The detachment also supports recovery of emergency/ divert military aircraft involved in major aircrew training exercises, such as Red Flag.

Detachment 2 of the 99th Range Squadron is responsible for, and directs, all ACC activities at Tonopah Test Range Airfield and the Northern Ranges. Like their southern partners, the detachment directs support of DoD, DOE research, development, and testing programs and also supports recovery of emergency/divert military aircraft involved in major testing and aircrew training exercises. The Northern Ranges offer unique test and training targets such as airfields, missile sites, trains, and bunker formations and a wide variety of threat simulators, uniquely tailored to individual mission requirements. Det-2's mission includes providing sophisticated training, testing, and weapons evaluation for various defence and other federal agencies, as well as allied nations.

To support aircrew training and testing, the Northern Ranges includes three Electronic Combat (EC) ranges which provide a user selectable, low-to-high electronic threat environment. These EC ranges are:

Tonopah Electronic Combat Range (TECR). The TECR is the main, manned threat simulator range and has simulated electronic threats that include surface-to-air missile (SAM) sites with numerous anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) fire control radars to simulate a realistic array of signals. The threats are located in as realistic a configuration as possible (given the proximity to live bombing ranges) to simulate enemy air defense arrays. The presence of acquisition radars adds to the realism of the environment and provides data for command and control of the integrated air defense system.

Tolicha Peak Electronic Combat Range (TPECR). The TPECR contains long- and short-range strategic threat systems and associated point defense systems, along with appropriate acquisition and ground controlled intercept radars. The TPECR simulates the defense of the deep interdiction and offensive counter air targets. The TPECR is a smaller range than the TECR and has less capability, but it plays an important role in all the major exercises conducted on the North Ranges.

EC South. This range contains a limited number of electronic threat simulators representing both missiles and AAA, and provides a separate area for tactics development and training in the use of anti-radiation missiles against electronic threats. The EC South Range is not tied into the integrated air defense system of the TECR and TPECR and, therefore, does not provide as realistic a simulation of the enemy air defence system. However, using EC South is much simpler and does not require elaborate planning.

The North Range contains four unmanned weapons delivery areas in addition to the TECR, the TPECR, and EC South. All four subranges consist mainly of tactical-type targets representing airfields, SAM sites, truck convoys, missile storage sites, artillery companies, and other targets. The type of weapons authorized for delivery depends upon the target selected.

Information from Globalsecurity.org, Dreamlandresort.com, Abovetopsecret.com and other websites and news articles.

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This page was last updated on: 2006-02-01

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