Delivering Tomorrow’s Readiness

White Sands Missile Range, birthplace of America’s missile and space activity, looks to the future as it continues to provide Army, Navy, Air Force, Agencies and other customers with high-quality services for experimentation, test, research, assessment, development, and training in support of national security.

 

Test & Evaluation Services & Capabilities 

White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), DoD’s largest, fully-instrumented, open-air range, provides America’s Armed Forces, allies, partners, and defense technology innovators with the world’s premiere research, development, test, evaluation (RDT&E), experimentation, and training facilities to ensure our nation’s defense readiness. The Range possesses extensive capabilities and infrastructure utilized by the Army, Navy, Air Force, NASA and other government agencies as well as universities, private industry and foreign militaries.  As a tri-service facility, WSMR is responsive to command guidance for all DoD activities.  WSMR supports the Warfighter with data collection and analysis, instrumentation development, modeling and simulation, research, assessment, and technical services.  The large land mass, controlled airspace, and skilled personnel support testing of conventional munitions, unmanned systems, distributed system, countermeasures, space systems and sensors, directed energy, high and low altitude missile systems, explosives testing, ground and aerial targets flights, and low observable precision strikes to ensure military readiness and training events.  The unique tri-service installation facility is dedicated to the Test and Evaluation (T&E), research, and the assessment of military weapon systems and commercial products through testing and training.  As the largest open-air land test range in the Department of Defense (DoD), we are home to capabilities such as state-of-the-art environmental testing chambers, an extensive data collection instrumentation suite, advanced data processing, and modeling & simulation (M&S) facilities.  This places WSMR in a unique position to address present and future challenges facing the Warfighter.

Testing Services

White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), has a wide range of testing capabilities to support small and large customer requirements.  The Range possesses extensive capabilities utilized by the Army, Navy, Air Force, NASA, universities, private industries and foreign militaries.  This listing of testing services highlights common testing groups.  If your unique test does not fit into any of these categories, White Sands Missile Range may still be the best place for you.

  • Nuclear / Electromagnetic Environmental Effects
  • Sensor Testing
  • Weapons Testing
  • Space
  • System of Systems
  • Counter-Improvised Explosive Device
  • Aerial Targets
  • Army Air
  • Other Services

Testing and Evaluation

White Sands Missile Range engineers and scientists perform services necessary to support the Integrated Test and Experiment Strategy for planning, design, conduct, analysis, and reporting using operational research, system engineering and scientific methods over the Life Cycle for military hardware and software. To support these services White Sands Test Center provides all the Capabilities necessary to ensure the success of any test brought to White Sands Missile Range. These capabilities are routinely utilized by the Army, Navy Air Force and other authorized customers to support their diverse test requirements. White Sand Missile Range’s Test and Evaluation Strategy has rapidly become recognized throughout the United States Military’s Test and Evaluation Community as the premier location for conducting weapon system test and evaluation.

  • Range Control
  • Range Instrumentation
  • Targets and Instrumentation
  • Laboratories and Facilities

MATERIEL TEST DIRECTORATE

The Materiel Test Directorate (MT) provides evaluation of systems, materiel and equipment through field, laboratory and sponsors testing on WSMR for DOD, foreign, space and industry customers. Throughout its history, MT has tested a wide variety of hardware, both U.S. and foreign. Among these are air defense missile systems, including the Stinger, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor, Patriot/Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3), surface-to-surface rocket and missile systems including Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) and its variants (guided and unitary), High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and various unmanned aerial vehicles.

The testing of today’s complex systems continues to dominate the MT workload. A typical test program will include several components: the review of system performance requirements; the development of detailed test plans; tests ranging from component, subsystem and system to software verification; validation of human factors assessments; and finally, the firing of rockets and missiles.

At each testing step, data are collected and analyzed. Finally, overall system assessments are made to assure systems are ready for Soldiers in the field. To accomplish the complex task of testing, a core team consisting of a project engineer, systems analyst and test conductor is formed. The project engineer is the focal point for all project-related test activities. He or she is responsible for planning, coordinating, executing and reporting test results and associated data analysis. The test conductor is responsible for accomplishing the test program and for directing the actual test efforts. A key activity in the successful development and execution of an effective test program is system analysis. Systems analysts are assigned to each project to develop and implement a comprehensive test and evaluation program. Throughout a given program, analysts review the test requirements, develop detailed test plans, and monitor the collection of data during test and simulation activities. Upon completion of the test program, results are assembled to quantify the system’sperformance. These assessments, along with data accuracy and confidence-level quality indicators, are presented in final test reports.

Explosive testing capabilities include facilities for safety tests such as fire, drop, bullet impact, sympathetic detonation and others. Warhead arena tests, warhead penetration tests and failure analysis of explosive components also are available. Maximum data collection for failure analysis on lethal weapon systems and submunitions can be conducted remotely using a robotic Remote Area Disassembly Vehicle.

In addition to controlled environment testing, the actual operation of the system is tested, which in many cases involves the launching of a rocket or missile. Reliability, availability and maintainability (RAM) information, including MANPRINT factors and safety data, is collected and evaluated during these tests. MT provides knowledgeable reliability engineers and equipment specialists to develop test methodology and to plan customer reliability and maintainability test programs. Test data from the programs are processed in the Developmental Test Command (DTC) Standard Data Collection System and provide test incident reports to assess overall system performance. These performance parameters indicate utility and effectiveness of the system so MT can assure the best systems possible are fielded.

For systems with embedded software, a unique requirement-oriented software assessment methodology targeted at the system performance level can be applied. The approach is focused at the software’s requirement level and deliberately avoids further debugging of the contractor’s computer code. Simulation techniques are available for evaluation of systems under test.

Mathematical models of systems, subassemblies and major components can be assembled and executed on digital computer systems. The results of simulations can help determine range safety boundaries, preflight and post-flight analysis, environmental effects on system functions and overall system performance in preparation for live firings.

MT has experience in a variety of other technical activities that are test-related. Some examples include supporting the systems engineering process, performing software independent verification and validation, monitoring developer (contractor) testing, assisting in establishing the extent to which simulation could and should be used, assisting in the verification and validation of simulations, and assisting in the identification of data collection and data reduction requirements.

When appropriate, MT coordinates requirements with the Range Operations Directorate to conduct live rocket or missile firings. This coordination determines the launch and impact site, the use of targets, and the type and accuracy of data required. For more information, visit the WSMR website at www.wsmr. army.mil or call 575-678-1241/1243. Write to: Director, Materiel Test Directorate, White Sands Missile Range, NM 88002-5158.

SURVIVABILITY, VULNERABILITY AND ASSESSMENT DIRECTORATE

The Survivability, Vulnerability and Assessment Directorate (SVAD) offers complete laboratory capabilities for nuclear environments, electromagnetic environments, and applied environment test and evaluation. As part of the laboratory capabilities, the SVAD has complete ionizing radiation simulation environments and testing expertise. The SVAD also provides extensive electromagnetic environment simulation and testing expertise. Finally, the SVAD provides myriad other environments and capabilities ranging from high and low temperatures to salt, fog, rain, shock and vibration, and a chemical laboratory.

Ionizing Radiation Test Capabilities

Major nuclear effects test facilities operated by SV include:

• White Sands Solar Furnace (WSSF): The WSSF produces intense thermal pulses or steady-state thermal radiation exposures to simulate the thermal radiation from detonation of a nuclear weapon. At full power, the energy generated by the WSSF can penetrate a half-inch stainless steel plate in 40 seconds.

• PI-538 Flash X-ray Facility: The PI-538 is a high-energy, pulsed, field-emission electron beam or Bremsstrahlung X-ray source. It provides an energy source of short duration for determining material responses to rapid and in-depth energy deposition and is a particularly cost-effective means of testing relatively large items. The system is optimized to produce an output that can irradiate substantial volumes at levels exceeding 1.0E10 cGy(Si) per second over a 50-square-centimeter area.

• Linear Electron Accelerator (LINAC): The LINAC is designed to simulate the high-intensity gamma spike associated with a nuclear weapon detonation by producing high-intensity, short-duration pulses of high-energy electron radiation for threat-level exposures.

• Gamma Radiation Facility (GRF): The GRF is designed to provide the total gamma dose and residual gamma dose environments needed for nuclear effects testing on virtually any size item. The GRF is used primarily for Transient Radiation Effects on Electronics (TREE) experiments and verification tests of systems for gamma dose survivability. However, the uses of the GRF are diverse, including radiography and shielding experiments and nuclear power plant equipment and materials verification, as well as calibration and operational testing of military RADIAC instrumentation.

• Fast Burst Reactor (FBR): The FBR is an unmoderated and unreflected cylindrical assembly of uranium and molybdenum alloy. The FBR produces high-yield pulses of microsecond width, as well as long-term, steady-state radiation, to closely simulate the neutron radiation environment produced by a fission weapon. Its principal use has been and continues to be the testing of electronic devices to a fast neutron environment. Additionally, it can be combined with the PI-538 Flash X-ray to provide a synergistic combined test environment.

• DS-20 Panoramic Irradiator: The DS-20 Panoramic Irradiator is used for gamma dose simulation testing. The facility is capable of providing dose rates between 50 and 0.01 rad(Si) per second in the direct beam with no attenuation. The Eldorado can also operate in an extended operation mode to fulfill the unique requirements of Space Radiation Environment tests. Utilizing off-axis irradiations or aluminum attenuators, lower dose rates are achieved.

In addition to these ionizing radiation producing facilities, the SV also provides test and support capabilities in conjunction with the nuclear facilities with the Semiconductor Test Laboratory and the Radiation Tolerance Assured Supply and Support Center.

Mission and Installation Contracting Command - White Sands Contracting Office

The primary purpose of this section is to furnish information and assistance to individuals and companies interested in doing business with the U.S. Government -- particularly with White Sands Missile Range activities.

The Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC), White Sands Contracting Office is a full-service contracting office supporting the routine, unique and special needs of the WSMR testing community, its tenants and federal agencies external to the installation. Though the MICC - White Sands Contracting Office is an MICC-funded tenant activity at White Sands Missile Range, it plays an integral role in the support of the Team WSMR mission.

The MICC - White Sands Contracting Office staff purchases equipment, consumable supplies, minor construction, base operations type services, and mission support services. We acquire these by placing orders against contracts awarded by the General Services Administration (CS) and various agencies in the Department of Defense (DoD). We do this through the use of purchase orders, government purchase cards and through solicitation and awarding of various types of fixed price and cost reimbursable contracts. 

All requirements exceeding $25,000 are advertised at the Federal Business Opportunities (www.fbo.gov) page for the Department of the Army - MICC - White Sands Missile Range: Opportunities.
 


Information for general public access

Federal business opportunities, justifications, and approvals listings are announced on our web portal.

Test Engineering and Analysis Services (TEAS), Pre-Solicitation Notice W9124Q-14-R-0011

WSMR Test Engineering and Analysis Services Performance Work Statement

WSMR Test Engineering and Analysis Services OCI Form

WSMR Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP)

Department of the Army OSBP

An interactive instructional module for 13 Steps to Doing Business with the Army

 

Information for authorized WSMR personnel

15 January 2014 MICC CG Memo: FY14 cut-off dates for purchase request submissions to MICC

WSMR Government Purchase Card Program

MICC WSMR WSDM Home

 

Privacy and security notice

All requirements - The MICC - White Sands Contracting Office web collection is provided as a public service. Information presented in this web collection is considered public information and may be distributed or copied. Use of appropriate byline/photo/image credits is requested.

At present, no statistical tracking of the MICC - White Sands Contracting Office web collection is done to assess what information is of most and least interest, determining technical design specifications and identifying system performance or problem areas. However, for site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, this government computer system employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. Except for authorized law enforcement investigations, no other attempts are made to identify individual users or their usage habits. Raw data logs are used for no other purposes and are scheduled for regular destruction in accordance with National Archives and Records Administration General Schedule 20. 

Unauthorized attempts to upload information or change information on this service are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act. 

External Links Notice: The appearance of a hyperlink on any of the pages of this website does not constitute endorsement by U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range, the Public Affairs Office, Department of the Army, or the Department of Defense of the information, products or services contained therein. For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and Morale, Welfare and Recreation sites, the Department of Defense, the United States Army, the United States Airforce or the National Guard Bureau, does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find. However, information is consistent with the stated purpose of this military site.