WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) led colleagues in sending a letter to Acting Secretary of the Army Adam Telle urging the Army to designate Camp Atterbury and the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center as Premier Test Ranges under the Permissive Test Range Expansion Initiative.
Camp Atterbury and Muscatatuck are ready to expand Department of Army testing of unmanned systems, counter-UAS technologies and other critical defense capabilities. Camp Atterbury has already supported testing of drones later deployed by U.S. Central Command.
Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) said, “Camp Atterbury and Muscatatuck are ready to help the Army move cutting-edge defense technology from development to the battlefield. Designating these facilities as Premier Test Ranges would accelerate innovation, strengthen our military, and expand Indiana’s role in supporting our national defense.”
Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind) said, “Camp Atterbury and Muscatatuck Urban Training Center are uniquely positioned to help our military prepare for the threats of tomorrow. Designating these facilities as Premier Test Ranges would accelerate innovation, strengthen military readiness, and build on Indiana’s important role in our national defense. This designation would help ensure our service members have the capabilities they need to confront emerging threats and keep Americans safe.”
Rep. Mark Messmer (R-IN-08) said, “Future wars will be determined not only by the size of a nation’s military, but by how quickly it can develop, test, and field the next generation of technology. The Department of War consistently turns to Indiana to deliver the cutting-edge capabilities that give our adversaries pause. Designating Camp Atterbury and Muscatatuck as Premier Test Ranges would build on that record, accelerate innovation from the test range to the battlefield, and make sure American warfighters enter the fight with the technological advantage.”
Rep. Jefferson Shreve (R-IN-06) said, “Camp Atterbury and Muscatatuck are ready for this mission today. Our facilities offer the airspace, testing grounds, and experience to help the Army turn new technology into battlefield capability. Atterbury has already supported testing of drones deployed overseas. This designation would build on that proven record and expand Indiana’s contribution to our national defense.”
Rep. Erin Houchin (R-IN-09) said, “Camp Atterbury and Muscatatuck are among our best military assets in the nation. They are a national leader in military readiness and the development of mission-critical technology. Designating these assets as Premier Test Ranges would not only name them for what they already are; it will enhance our readiness ahead of emerging threats.”
Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-IN-03) said, “Indiana’s Camp Atterbury and the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center are prime locations to be designated as Premier Test Ranges by the U.S. Army. Indiana has long served as the pinnacle for defense innovation, manufacturing, and testing. Just this year, the U.S. launched drones in Iran that had been tested at Camp Atterbury’s T-REX program. I am proud to support Camp Atterbury and the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center for designation to further advance America’s warfighting capabilities.”
Rep. James Baird (R-IN-04) said, “Indiana is well-positioned to lead the development and testing of next-generation defense technologies. Our adversaries are advancing their military technology, and we cannot afford to slow down our own innovation. Redesignating Camp Atterbury and Muscatatuck as Premier Test Ranges will accelerate the development of crucial weapon systems that strengthen our national security, helping ensure America remains at the forefront of military innovation. I’m proud to join my fellow Hoosier members of Congress in calling on Acting Secretary Telle to promptly redesignate these sites.”
Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-IN-01) said, “I appreciate Senator Banks’ leadership and my fellow members of the Indiana Congressional delegation for coming together to pursue this designation. Our Indiana National Guard members and training facilities are world-class, and a favorable decision would further strengthen Indiana’s role as a national leader in military readiness.”
Read the full letter here or below:
The Honorable Adam Telle
Acting Secretary of the Army
We are writing to respectfully urge you to designate Indiana’s Camp Atterbury and the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center (MUTC) as Premier Test Ranges under the Department of Army’s Permissive Test Range Expansion Initiative (PTREI). This designation will bolster the Army’s capability to quickly connect private-sector innovation with realistic operational environments.
As you know the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) under PTREI prioritizes commercial access to specialized environments ideal for testing unmanned systems, counter-UAS technologies, long-range fires and low-cost interceptors.
MUTC offers a dense, infrastructure-rich urban landscape alongside the requisite physical, digital, and electromagnetic conditions needed to test commercial capabilities. Combined with Camp Atterbury’s maneuver space, ranges, aviation assets, and airspace access, the installation will allow technologies to quickly evolve from initial developmental testing to complex operational experimentation. This mature, self-sustaining ecosystem is operational and ready today, requiring no baseline infrastructure investment to support the initiative. Designating Camp Atterbury and MUTC as Premier Test Ranges will also provide increased testing capability to mitigate future scheduling bottlenecks as industry’s engagement with the Army continues to grow.
Camp Atterbury has already demonstrated its value as a premier experimentation hub. Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS) drones, the first reverse-engineered, one-way attack drones deployed by the United States in CENTCOM, were tested at Atterbury. As CENTCOM Commander Admiral Cooper said earlier this year, “I remember well the training that happened at Camp Atterbury … That training has produced additional capability that we have now employed against an adversary, very effectively.”[1]
Additionally, Indiana was recently designated as an FAA Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Test Site, permitting Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) testing to advance autonomous flight standards. Designating Camp Attebury and MUTC as a Premier Test Ranges would complement the FAA designation by creating a bridge between commercial drone innovations and the complex urban, counter-UAS, and electronic warfare evaluations conducted by the Army.
Specifically, the restricted airspace over Camp Atterbury, Indiana, is designated by the FAA as Special Use Airspace R-3401A and R-3401B, extending from the surface up to Flight Level 400 (just over 51 square miles of restricted airspace). Camp Atterbury’s integration of this airspace has established it as a tried-and-true operational proving ground for accelerating cutting-edge defense technologies through Task Force RAPTR and its innovative Technology Readiness Experimentation (T-REX) campaigns.
Muscatatuck, moreover, specializes in Class G and custom-managed airspace tailored for realistic low-altitude urban warfare for class 1 UAS, counter-UAS (drone) testing, and routinely supports electronic attack for training and testing.
Thank you for your leadership, dedication to accelerating innovation, and continued service to our nation.
