Banks announces Camp Atterbury and Muscatatuck designated Premier Test Ranges

INDIANA — Acting Secretary of the Army Adam Telle announced today that Camp Atterbury and the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center have officially been designated Premier Test Ranges under the Army’s Permissive Test Range Expansion Initiative.

The announcement was delivered at U.S. Sen. Jim Banks’ (R-Ind.) 5th Annual Northeast Indiana Defense Summit in Fort Wayne.

The new designation will significantly expand the Army’s access to specialized environments required for testing unmanned systems, counter-drone technologies, long-range fires, low-cost interceptors, and other critical defense capabilities. Muscatatuck’s dense urban training center paired with Camp Atterbury’s expansive maneuver space, ranges, aviation assets, and restricted airspace provide a ready-made testing ecosystem for next-generation technology.

Leadership Reassures Commitment to Defense Innovation

State and military leaders praised the decision, pointing to Indiana’s growing role in national security and technological advancement:

“Our warfighters need the best technology, tested in the conditions they will face on the battlefield. Camp Atterbury and Muscatatuck give the Army the ranges, airspace, and urban training environment to do that. This designation will strengthen our military and put Indiana at the forefront of preparing for the threat ahead,” said U.S. Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.).

“Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary of War Hegseth, the Army is throwing open our doors to American innovators and tearing down bureaucratic red tape. We are accelerating our relationship with American ingenuity, acquiring cutting-edge capabilities and integrating autonomous technologies to ensure the U.S. Army remains the most lethal and dominant land force in human history… By marrying Indiana’s premier test range capabilities with ATEC’s white-glove concierge service, we are dramatically reducing timelines for commercial disruptors to secure access to test range spaces not readily available in the commercial sector, and deliver Soldier-ready products faster,” said Adam R. Teller, Acting Secretary of the Army.

“Indiana is leading the way in defense innovation, and this designation reinforces our state’s position as a premier designation for modern military testing and evaluation… These facilities offer the infrastructure, expertise, and realistic testing environments needed to advance new technologies and strengthen our military’s edge,” said Maj. Gen. Larry Muennich, Adjutant General of the Indiana National Guard.

“Expanding this initiative to Indiana is a win-win for national security and defense innovation. We are providing the physical space and the robust, restricted airspace that commercial developers need to mature their systems. Our ATEC concierge team is fully integrated with the Indiana National Guard to ensure that private industry has a seamless, collaborative pipeline to build, test, and deliver resilient technologies to our warfighters,” said Maj. Gen. Pat Gaydon, Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) Commanding General.

“Camp Atterbury and Muscatatuck give commercial developers the ranges and airspace they need to test what actually works. The Army’s job is to get those systems into formations quickly. These ranges cut the time between a commercial system and a Soldier who can use it,” said Gen. Christopher LaNeve, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army.

Bipartisan Support & Track Record

The designation follows a formal request led by Sen. Banks on September 30, supported by nine members of Indiana’s congressional delegation, including Sen. Todd Young. In the letter to Acting Secretary Telle, lawmakers highlighted the facilities’ proven track record of bridging private-sector innovation with realistic operational environments.

Camp Atterbury previously supported testing for LUCAS drones, which were subsequently deployed by U.S. Central Command.