Site 4 - Tonopah Test Range

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Site-4 is part of the TECR or Tonopah Electronic Combat Range. This Range is used by the USAF for Training pilots against Electronic warfare such as Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) threats, AAA threats and also Electronic Counter Measure and Electronic Support Measure (ECM and ESM) training. Dotted around the base are real threats, including many actual Russian made systems such as SA-6 SAM's, ZSU-23-4 AAA systems and other Russian, Iraqi and Eastern European systems. Site-4 is owned and operated by the 554th Range Squadron, which has its Headquarters located in the center of the site.

Tonopah ECR operates in conjunction with Tolicha Peak ECR (TPECR) located Southwest of TTR. Tonopah ECR as well as Tolicha Peak ECR are also used by Tonopah Test Range, Area 51 and Edwards AFB for testing stealth aircraft against real-time threats such as the foreign systems mentioned above. The Stealth capabilities of the aircraft are tested by flying the aircraft over the threats to see if the enemy radar can detect it.

The SAM and AAA Radar are not the only radar systems to avoid. Also used at the ECR's are EWRS or Early Warning Radar Systems. These are the 'real' threats that in a conflict need to be disabled first, because many EWRS can actually detect Stealth by changing tracking/scanning frequency and modes. These radars can pass information to the smaller targeting radars, to give away the Stealth location, enabling them to make a "kill".

Another use of the ECR sites is during Red Flag. These aerial war-game exercises are operated out of Nellis AFB with some deployments actually operating from the TTR base itself. During Red Flag, U.S. and allied pilots are trained in extremely realistic aerial combat situations, including the enemy systems of the ECRs.