e can meet evolving tactical aviation training requirements. The
Goldwater Range has the capacity to keep pace with the evolution of aircraft technology and changing tactics of aerial warfare. The
range will continue to be a critical asset for ensuring national defense air power readiness. Identified in 1941 by Lt. Col. Ennis C.
Whitehead, the 1.1 million-acre range was initially divided into the Gila Bend Gunnery Range and the Yuma Aerial and Gunnery and
Bombing Range. Over 17,000 pilots trained here during World War II, and logged more than a million flight hours in the AT-6 Texan,
P-40 Warhawk and the P-51 Mustang. Because of the high demand for use, the range grew to 2.1 million acres by 1943.
The key value of the Goldwater Range is its extensive land and airspace authroized for live-fire
training, essential to the surivival and victories of aircrews in combat. The lethal effectiveness of
the modern battlefield no longer allows a margin of error for second thoughts or a second chance.
Aircrews must ????? their own weapons systems and tactics prior to the fight in order to
have any chance ??????. Accordingly, an aircrew's first experience with realistic live fire must
be in training rather ????. Hence, five targets on the range are authroized for live
weapons, which include ????? (bombs) and air-to-ground missiles. All other targets are
used for non-exploding training munitions. In fact, this non-exploding training ordnance
comprises 98% of the munitions used on the Goldwater Range.
The 57,000 cubic miles of restricted airspace cover a
land area twice the size of Delaware. About one-third
of the airspace overfies Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife
Refuge. This area is used for overflights and air-to-air
combat. No military activities occur on the ground in
Cabeza Prieta, with the exception of five unmanned
electronic instrument sites.
Air-to-air combat training uses the vast amount of airspace available to teach pilots the fundamentals and advanced techniques of combat with other
aircraft. For realistic training, exercises begin with opposing aircraft well outside the range of weapons and radar. Some of these scenarios include:
¥ Basic fighter maneuvers, or two aircraft engaging in a dogfight
¥ Air combat maneuvers, where two aircraft team up against a single enemy aircraft or "bandit"
¥ Air combat tactics, the most sophisticated type of air-to-air training, usually involves multiple
aircraft and combines air combat maneuvers with incepts and tactical scenarios.
Improvements to the range were made over the years. The addition
of air-to-ground gunnery ranges, tactical ranges and air-to-air ranges
added another half-million acres by 1952. The wide-open space of
the range accommodated the newer high-speed jet fighter aircraft
such as the supersonic F-100 Super Sabre, then later the F-15 Eagle
and currently the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
The Goldwater Range has three air-to-
ground tactical ranges that simulate
battlefield scenarios. These tactical ranges
are unmanned and are used to instruct
aircrews to fly and fight against ground-
bases threats and combat situations.
Targets are designed to depict realistic
scenarios that consist of simulated airfield com¹lexes, tank and
vehicle convoys, railroad yards and enemy air defenses. Most of
the weapons used on these tactial ranges consist of training
ordnance and ammunition which does not contain live explosives.
The accuracy of weapons delivery is scored by the pilot's
observation. Each tactical range also has one target where the
use of live weapons is authorized. The majority of the land within
the range boundaries serves as a safety buffer around these active
training areas.
