U.S. Army opens test ranges to private industry for drone and counter-drone development

Published Aug 12, 08:59 PM UTC

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The U.S. Army announced it is opening military test ranges to private industry to accelerate the development and testing of drones, counter-drone systems, long-range fires, and cheap interceptors. Companies can request range access through an online portal even without an existing government partnership. The initiative includes four U.S. ranges (Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, West Cibola Range in Arizona, Camp Shelby in Mississippi, Camp Grayling in Michigan) and one international site in Morocco. Camp Grayling will host a quarterly 'electromagnetic unreliability test event' simulating conditions from the Ukraine war. The move aligns with Pentagon efforts to streamline counter-drone acquisition and expedite weapons production amid reports of depleted Patriot interceptor inventories. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll emphasized removing bureaucratic barriers for companies with good ideas. The initiative is led by the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command with National Guard and U.S. Africa Command collaboration.

Source

Military TimesWestern

Original headline: Army opens test ranges to private industry

Original language: EN

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