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| Melrose Air Force Range | |
|---|---|
| Name | Melrose Air Force Range |
| Location | Melrose Air, Roosevelt County, New Mexico |
| Coordinates | 34°21′N 103°18′W |
| Country | United States |
| Ownership | United States Air Force |
| Operator | Air Combat Command |
| Used | 1940s–present |
| Elevation | 4,300 ft |
Melrose Air Force Range is a United States Air Force training area and bombing range located near Melrose in Roosevelt County, New Mexico. The range has served as a site for aerial gunnery, bombing, electronic warfare, and weapons testing supporting United States Air Force, Air Combat Command, and allied aviation units. Over decades the facility interfaces with nearby installations, federal agencies, and local communities, influencing regional aviation, ecology, and economic activity.
The facility's origins trace to World War II-era training initiatives associated with Army Air Forces Training Command and later United States Air Force reorganization, drawing units from Kirtland Field, Walker Air Force Base, and Clovis Air Force Base. During the Cold War the range supported strategic bomber training for Strategic Air Command wings including crews from Barksdale Air Force Base, Ellsworth Air Force Base, and Dyess Air Force Base. In the late 20th century the range accommodated testing for aircraft such as the B-52 Stratofortress, F-4 Phantom II, and F-111 Aardvark, and participated in exercises linked to operations like Operation Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom. The post-Cold War era saw an operational shift to support Air Combat Command and integration with modern platforms like the F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-15 Eagle, and F-35 Lightning II. Administrative oversight has involved Air National Guard units, Air Force Reserve Command, and partnerships with the Department of Defense and National Nuclear Security Administration for range management and safety protocols.
The range occupies arid grassland and playa terrain characteristic of eastern New Mexico, adjacent to the Llano Estacado and near the Canadian River basin. Facilities include target arrays, impact areas, control towers, airstrip infrastructure, and support buildings located near Melrose and the town of Portales. Instrumentation ranges from radar and telemetry systems supplied by contractors and military labs like Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Airspace is managed in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Western Air Defense Sector, integrating restricted areas and temporary flight restrictions to deconflict civil traffic from military operations. The range complex is accessible via regional highways connecting to Roswell International Air Center and Clovis Municipal Airport.
Training mission sets encompass live-drop weapons delivery, inert-bombing profiles, strafing, air-to-ground gunnery, close air support maneuvers, and electronic warfare training. Exercises align with doctrine promulgated by Air Force Doctrine Publication and joint concepts from United States Northern Command and United States Southern Command where applicable for interoperability with units from NATO members and partner nations. The range supports ordnance certification for munitions like the Mk 82 practice variants, laser-guided munitions training, and integration trials for sensor pods such as the AN/AAQ-33 Sniper and AN/APG-68 radar. Training rotations have hosted squadrons from RAF, Royal Australian Air Force, Canadian Armed Forces, and other coalition partners, bolstering readiness for operations tied to conflicts including Operation Iraqi Freedom. Instrumented ranges allow telemetry capture for programs managed by Air Force Materiel Command and developmental testing by Air Force Test Center affiliates.
Command relationships have included assignment under regional commands such as Air Combat Command with operational support from the New Mexico Air National Guard and tenant units drawn from bases like Holloman Air Force Base, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and Tinker Air Force Base. Range management responsibilities often rest with a host wing or group that coordinates with range support squadrons, civil engineering units, explosive ordnance disposal detachments, and medical readiness teams. Interservice coordination has involved United States Army Air and Missile Defense Command assets for integrated airspace use and liaison with United States Marine Corps aviation units during combined training events.
Environmental management addresses unexploded ordnance, soil contamination, and habitat preservation for species native to the Chihuahuan Desert ecoregion, with reviews conducted under statutes like the National Environmental Policy Act and oversight by the Environmental Protection Agency region offices. Remediation and conservation efforts coordinate with state agencies such as the New Mexico Environment Department and non-governmental organizations including The Nature Conservancy when protecting sensitive riparian corridors and prairie grasslands. Studies have examined impacts on migratory birds traversing the Central Flyway, and mitigation measures include scheduling, buffer zones, and live-fire restrictions to protect species listed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Over its operational history the range has recorded aircraft mishaps, ordnance-related incidents, and occasional off-range debris events investigated by Air Force Safety Center and National Transportation Safety Board when civilian airspace or property were affected. Notable investigations involved heavy bombers during Cold War training sorties and fighter jet ejections, with recovery operations coordinated with local emergency services and federal investigative teams. Lessons learned from incidents informed changes in procedures promulgated by Air Force Instructions and resulted in upgrades to range safety protocols and telemetry recovery networks.
The range maintains relations with nearby communities such as Melrose, New Mexico, Portales, New Mexico, Roswell, New Mexico, and Clovis, New Mexico, supporting local economies and educational partnerships with institutions like Eastern New Mexico University. Community engagement includes public comment periods during environmental reviews, outreach through county governments like Roosevelt County, New Mexico, and cooperative agreements with local fire departments and law enforcement. Cultural resource management ensures protection of archaeological sites associated with Paleo-Indian and Ancestral Puebloans presences in the region, coordinated with the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division and tribal governments including the Mescalero Apache Tribe where cultural resources intersect range lands.