Securing House funding for Gulf range

WASHINGTON, DC - In a victory for Florida’s military community, the U.S. House of Representatives on July 27 passed Florida 2nd District Rep. (Dr.) Neal Dunn’s amendment to fast-track military training range improvements in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico; and provide $30M for the next evolution of the Gulf Range Enhancement program for test and training date collection of 5th and 6th generation weapons in the Joint Gulf Range Complex (from east of New Orleans to west of MacDill AFB, Fla., to south of Key West, Fla.). The lack of adequate instrumentation restricts missions in the northern sector. The 96th Test Wing at Eglin AFB, Fla., estimates 80 missions a year cannot be conducted because of air space and infrastructure congestion. The Gulf Range is a “national treasure, a one-of-a-kind resource essential to our national security,” said Dunn. The Joint Gulf Range Complex is also used for high-altitude, supersonic air-combat training for F-22 Raptors at Tyndall AFB and F-35A/C jets at Eglin AFB. (Source: U.S. Rep Neal Dunn 07/27/17) The range has also been used in the past for training at Camp Shelby, Miss., and Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, Miss.