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BLMLIBRARY CO- 88065460 IDA NSTITUTE FOR DEFENSE ANALYSES * Reviewof Navy Requirementsforthe Fallon RangeTraining Complex L.D.Simmons, ProjectLeader April1999 Approvedforpublicrelease: distributionunlimited. IDAPaperP-3470 Log: H 99-000774 • ThisworkwasconductedundercontractDASW0198C0067,Task EK-1-1720,fortheUnitedStatesDepartmentoftheInterior,Bureauof LandManagement,NevadaStateOffice.ThepublicationofthisIDA documentdoesnotindicateendorsementbytheDepartmentofDefense, norshouldthecontentsbeconstruedasreflectingtheofficialpositionof thatAgency. ©1999InstituteforDefenseAnalyses,1801N.BeauregardStreet, Alexandria,Virginia22311-1772•(703)845-2000. ThismaterialmaybereproducedbyorfortheU.S.Governmentpursuant tothecopyrightlicenseundertheclauseatDFARS252.227-7013 (NOV95). fWIDD o 88ou^v»o 3 --"Hi'-> .0: t3' NSTITUTE FOR DEFENSE ANALYSES i » > i IDAPaperP-3470 Reviewof Navy Requirementsforthe Fallon RangeTraining Complex L.D.Simmons, ProjectLeader E. D. Potter PREFACE ThisstudywasconductedbytheInstituteforDefenseAnalyses(EDA)inresponse toarequestfromtheNevadaStateOfficeoftheBureauofLandManagement(BLM). Ms. Terri Knutson fromthe Carson City District Office served as the BLM Project Officerforthestudy. Herassistanceinhelpingusobtaininformationandincoordinating ourinteractionwithGovernmentandNavypersonnelatFallonNavalAirStationwas instrumentaltooursuccessandisgratefullyacknowledged. Additionalassistancewas providedbyMr.BrianC.AmmeattheBLMNevadaStateOffice. Theprojectteamisalsopleasedtoacknowledgetheinsightfulandconstructive guidance provided by the IDA Review Committee. The committee was chairedby Dr.DavidL.Randall,DirectorofIDA'SSystemEvaluationDivision,andincludedthe following members: Dr. Gary C. Comfort, Assistant Director of IDA's Operational EvaluationDivision;BGenRichardCraft,USAF(Ret.);Dr.IvanC.Oelrich;Mr.Gerald A.Pike;andDr.AlfredE.Victor. Mr.PhilipL.Major,IDAVicePresident-Planning andEvaluation,andDr.DavidA.Arthuralsoprovidedhelpfulcomments. TheprojectteamalsoacknowledgesthecontributionsofthemanyBLM,Navy, andAirForcepersonnelwithwhomweinteractedduringthestudy. Theircandidand thoughtfulresponsestoournumerousinquiriesaddedmeasurablytoourunderstandingof militaryaviationtraininganditspotentialimpactonpublicland. in (Thispageisintentionallyblank.) IV . 1 CONTENTS EXECUTIVESUMMARY ES-1 INTRODUCTION 1 REVIEW 3 A. ScopeofAviationTrainingatFallon 3 1. TypesofTrainingConducted 4 2. ExtentofTraining 5 3. PublicConcernsRegardingTraining 7 B. FeasibilityofAlternativeTrainingMethods 8 1. ImportanceofFlightOperations 8 2. KeyTrainingElements 1 3. ImportanceofRangeInstrumentation 13 C. FeasibilityofMovingTrainingtoAlternateBases 14 1 AvailabilityofNavyInstallationsforTraining 14 2. AvailabilityofAirForceInstallationsforTraining 15 3. AvailabilityofAlternativeBasingforFallonUnits 17 D. UtilityofExistingEmitterSites 17 1. CharacteristicsofExistingRadarEmitters 18 2. LimitationsofExistingEmitters 29 E. UtilityofProposedEmitterSites 32 1. CharacteristicsandAdvantagesofProposedEmitters 32 2. LocationsforProposedEmitters 35 3. EmploymentofProposedEmitters 35 F. AlternativeEmitterLocations 37 G. ProposedModificationstoFallonAirspaceandTargetComplex 38 1. AirspaceModifications 39 2. TrainingLandModifications 39 3. TargetComplexModifications 40 H. ProposedModificationstoRangeInstrumentation andCommunication 41 1. RangeInstrumentation 41 2. RangeCommunications 42 I. UseofChaff,FlaresandPyrotechnics 43 1. ChaffandFlares 43 2. SmokeySAMs 44 3. OtherPyrotechnicDevices 44 Appendixes A. Glossary B. References C. ListofFiguresandTables D. DistributionList VI EXECUTIVESUMMARY TheNavyhas proposed expanding its aviation training facilities nearFallon, Nevada,bywithdrawingadditionalpubliclandandinstallingactualandsimulatedthreat radarsystemsintheeasternportionoftheFallonrange. TheNevadaStateOfficeofthe BureauofLandManagementaskedIDAtoreviewtheNavy'sRequirementsDocument fortheFallonRangeTrainingComplexandprovideinformationtoassistindeveloping alternativesforanalysisintherequiredEnvironmentalImpactStatement. Theprincipal findingsandrecommendationsfromthatreviewarepresentedhere. Effectiveaviation training requiressubstantialairspaceandsufficientlandto accommodatesimulatedthreatsandtargets. Navyaircrewsmustbepreparedtooperate onthemodernbattlefieldwithitswidevarietyoftargetsandoftencomplexairdefenses. Inmanyinstancestargetsandthreatswillbeencounteredunexpectedly.Flightoperations areessentialtoprepareaircrewstofunctioneffectivelyinthisenvironment. Simulators andotherground-basedtrainingcannotreplicatethestressesimposedbymoderncombat. Typical Navy flight operations involve several types of aircraft, each assigned an essentialtasksothatthemissioncanbeconductedsuccessfully. Realistictrainingmust reflectthischaracteristicwhilepresentingaircrewswiththetypesoftargetsandthreats expectedduringwartime. Assuch,aviationtrainingforacarrierairwingrequiresalarge volumeofairspacetoaccommodatethenumbersofaircraftinvolvedandsufficientland spacetoaccommodatesimulatedtargetsandthreats. Rangeinstrumentationisneeded throughoutthetrainingcomplextorecordaircraftmaneuversandenablere-creationof trainingsituationsfordetailedstudyandreview. UseofotherNavyorAirForcerangestoconductthetrainingnowaccomplished atFallonwouldbeimpractical. UseofotherNavyrangesforcarrierairwingtrainingis infeasibleowingtothelimitedairandlandspaceavailableatotherranges. Withfew exceptions,alargeportionoftheairspaceattheNavy'sotherrangesisoverwaterand thuspoorlysuitedfortrainingaircrafttostriketargetsashore. Moreover,theNavy's otherrangesarealllocatedinmoredenselypopulatedareas,andmustcontendwitha largervolumeofcommercial airtraffic. NavyuseofnearbyAirForceranges (e.g., Nellis,MountainHome,ortheUtahTestandTrainingRange)isinfeasibleowingtothe Navy'slargesortierequirementandthedistancesthatwouldneedtobeflowntoreach ES-1 theseranges. Thelargenumberofsortiesassociatedwithcarrierairwingtrainingcould notbeabsorbedeasilyatnearbyAirForceranges,whicharealsoheavilyused. Evenif spacewereavailableatthewesternAirForceranges,thetraveltimebetweenFallonand eventheclosestofthesefacilitieswouldreduce availabletrainingtime andincrease trainingcosts. MovingthetrainingconductedatFallontoanentirelynewlocationwould imposesubstantialcostsandraiseenvironmentalconcernsatleastassevereasthoseat Fallon. TheexistingcollectionofthreatradarsystemsatFallonnolongerprovidesa realistic training environmentfor the spectrum ofpotential adversaries that could confrontnavalaviators. Theprincipalshortcomingoftheexistingthreatarrayisthelack ofadvancedairdefensesystemsthatarenowbeingexportedtonationspotentiallyhostile totheUnitedStates. Inaddition,allofthethreatradarsnowusedatFallonarelocatedin DixieValleyandliewithin25milesoftheB-17targetcomplex. (Thelocationofthe existingthreatarrayisshowninFigureI,asaretheproposedlocationsfornewradarsites onbothNavyandpublicland. Thefigure also showstheairspaceboundary,which wouldremain essentiallyunchanged.) For aircraft flyingtypical attackprofiles, the surroundingmountainsmasktheincomingaircraftfromground-basedthreatradarsuntil theaircraftarealmostoverthevalley. Thislevelofthreatcoverageisrepresentativeof onlyabout10percentofthetargetsintypicalconflictscenarios. ThethreatarrayproposedbytheNavywillfacilitatemorerealistictrainingfor the spectrum ofpotentialadversaries. The proposed array includes advancedthreat systemsdevelopedbyRussiaandChinaaswellasU.S.andEuropeansystemsthathave beenexported. TheNavyplanstousesomeofthesenewsystemsfromfixedandmobile sites in the eastern portion ofthe Fallon range.1 These locations will enable Navy instructorstodevisemorerealistictrainingscenarios. Withthreatslocatedasfaras75 miles from existing target areas, aircrews would be forced to fly through defended airspacefordistancesofupto100miles-alevelofcoveragerepresentativeofroughly 50percentoftargetsintypicalconflictscenarios. Whilesuccessfulinstallationofthe proposedthreatarraywillprovideanacceptabletrainingcapabilityagainstthreatsnowin existence,overthelongerterm,theNavywillneedtoreassessitstrainingrequirements 1 Thefixedsiteswouldoccupyroughly5acresandwouldincludeoneormoreradarsalongwith maintenanceandstoragefacilities,communicationsequipment,andanelectricalgenerator. Mobile radarsystemswouldbeoperatedfromone-eighthacreturnoutsoffexistingroads. Theradarandits supportingcommunicationssystemandelectricalgeneratorwouldbetransportedtothesitebysemi- trailer.Navyplanscallfortheinstallationof2-4fixedsitesand15-18mobilesitesonpublicland. ES-2