White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), NM,
White Sands Missile
Range (WSMR) operations take place in two separate testing ranges. The main
testing range, containing the headquarters, is located in south-central New
Mexico in the Tularosa Basin. This Range is approximately 40 miles wide by 100
miles long, with call up areas available for those tests requiring additional
flight space and or safety zones. The Tularosa basin is surrounded by the
communities of El Paso (40 miles south), Las Cruces (25 miles west), and
Alamogordo (50 miles north east) and several mountain ranges, some of which are
over 9000 feet in elevation. These mountains provide excellent locations for a
variety of range instrumentation to support testing. The climate is dry, with an
annual rainfall of about 12 inches, and is fairly comfortable due to the low
relative humidity of 44 percent. The other test range, the Electronic Proving
Ground, is located in southeastern Arizona near the foothills of the Huachuca
Mountains at Ft. Huachuca, Arizona. This location provides excellent weather,
visibility, open space, and a quiet electromagnetic environment to test
electronic warfare systems as well as other communication
systems.
Holloman AFB, NM
Located approximately 90 miles north of
Ft. Bliss and is home to the F117 Stealth fighter. Holloman AFB is
also the primary location for all German Air Force pilot
training.
Kirkland AFB, NM
Located approximately 270 miles north
of Ft. Bliss in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and serves as an Air Force training
site.