WATCH: In SASC Hearing, Kelly Presses Army Leaders on Plan to Cut Fort Huachuca’s Electronic Warfare Testing Center

This week, during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the Army’s priorities, Arizona Senator and Navy combat veteran Mark Kelly raised concerns about proposed staffing cuts at Fort Huachuca’s Electronic Proving Ground (EPG), the Army’s primary site for electronic warfare testing, and how those cuts could impact our country’s readiness to counter adversaries. 

During the hearing, Kelly emphasized the unique value of Fort Huachuca’s Electronic Proving Ground: “It’s concerning to me that the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) has a Reduction in Force plan that would disproportionately impact the Army’s primary electronic warfare test and evaluation center, and that is the Electronic Proving Ground at Fort Huachuca, outside of Sierra Vista in Arizona. The Electronic Proving Ground provides the unique capability to execute electronic warfare developmental testing without interference due to its unique geography. It sits in a bowl surrounded by some mountains. It also benefits from an ideal climate. There’s over 320 flying days per year in federally protected airspace, which further minimizes interference, allowing us to conduct aggressive offensive EW jamming tests that really show off our capability. These are important developmental tests. The existing ATEC proving grounds simply cannot provide the same environments outside of Fort Huachuca.” 

Kelly added a warning that the proposed cuts would have long-term consequences for national security: “If we get rid of personnel at Fort Huachuca, at the Electronic Proving Ground, we will not have the capability to do that developmental test and to train our soldiers and pilots how to use these systems to counter our adversaries. So, if carried out—this reduction in force at EPG—this could result in some long-term consequences for testing, evaluation, and readiness.” 

Last week, Kelly visited Fort Huachuca, where he met with Army leadership and service members and raised the same concerns about the proposed reductions and their potential impact on national security.

Click here to download a video of Kelly’s remarks. See the transcript below: 

Sen. Kelly: Secretary Driscoll, General George, thank you. Good to see you both again and thank you to you and your families for your continued service. Secretary Driscoll, in reference to the Army transformation initiative, is it correct that it is consistent with the Secretary of Defense’s directive on Army transformation and acquisition reform? That those things are consistent?  

Daniel Driscoll, Secretary of the Army: Yes. 

Sen. Kelly: OK, thank you. And that directive states that the Army must prioritize investments in existing resources to improve electronic warfare capabilities, among other things. Is that correct? 

Sec. Driscoll: Yes. I believe so.

Sen. Kelly: Thank you, and I agree. I mean lessons learned from the conflict in Ukraine, especially, do underscore the requirement for just how important our offensive and defensive electronic warfare capabilities are. We’ve seen that on the battlefield in Europe. So, it seems to me that the Army would want to bolster its electronic warfare test and evaluation capabilities. Senator Slotkin talked about advanced manufacturing. One aspect of being able to manufacture advanced, innovative combat power is to be able to test it and evaluate it. Without test and evaluation, you don’t know what you’re going to get. So, we want to ensure that we can deliver the most advanced warfighting capabilities in any conflict. Would you agree with that? 

Sec. Driscoll: Yes. 

Sen. Kelly: So, it’s concerning to me that the US Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) has a Reduction in Force plan that would disproportionately impact the Army’s primary electronic warfare test and evaluation center, and that is the Electronic Proving Ground at Fort Huachuca, outside of Sierra Vista in Arizona. The Electronic Proving Ground provides the unique capability to execute electronic warfare developmental testing without interference due to its unique geography. It sits in a bowl surrounded by some mountains. It also benefits from an ideal climate. There’s over 320 flying days per year in federally protected airspace, which further minimizes interference, allowing us to conduct aggressive offensive EW jamming tests that really show off our capability. This is an important developmental test. The existing ATEC proving grounds simply cannot provide the same environments outside of Fort Huachuca. That would leave us without the ability, if we get rid of personnel at Fort Huachuca, at the Electronic Proving Ground, we will not have the capability to do that developmental test and to train our soldiers and pilots had to use these systems to counter our adversaries. So, if carried out, this reduction in force at EPG, this could result in some long-term consequences for testing and evaluation and readiness. So, Mr. Secretary, do you agree that disproportionately slashing our electronic warfare test centers would harm the Army’s electronic warfare capability? 

General Randy A. George, Chief of Staff of the Army: Do you mind if I jump in on this one, Senator? 

Sen. Kelly: Yes, sir. 

Gen. George: As you know, we also have Yuma that’s over there. We have White Sands, Dugway. So, I agree with you. I agree with you on the EW. I agree with you. And what we’ve looked at, and I know Pat Gaiden at the Army Tests and Evaluation, and we’ve had a lot of discussions on this. We are also testing some of this stuff around the world. What we had had was, and we are looking at is, where do we have excess capacity that we’re actually not using that. I think we can come over and lay that out. So, yes, EW is going to be important. Yes, we’re going to have to do it in a lot of different locations. What I will tell you is, probably, we will be doing much differently at the John R. Fox Range and what’s happening is adding drones, adding FPV drones, and doing different training. 

Sen. Kelly: General, let me give you a quick example though. And, obviously, Yuma Proving Ground is also a valuable Army asset in the state of Arizona. They are different. The geography of the Electronic Proving Ground allows us to do stuff there that we cannot do anywhere else. If you want to simulate a surface to air missile system, the electronic signature from it, in Yuma Proving Ground, you’re talking about maybe 0.1 watt of power output before you can start to interfere with the communication systems, airplane, TV stations in and around the Phoenix area. When you do that at the Electronic Proving Ground, you can go in order of magnitude or more, higher in power output. There’s no place like it anywhere. And the riff that is planned at ATEC, if that continues, and is carried out, we are going to find ourselves in a situation where we cannot do the testing that we need on these EW systems. So, General and Mr. Secretary, I encourage you to look into this, and I am happy to have a follow up discussion with you about it. 

Sec. Driscoll: Senator, I visited there, and I can echo that the work they’re doing is incredible. But we’ll follow up with your office. 

Sen. Kelly: Thank you.