Photo By Lance Cpl. Lauralle Gavilanes | A target boat sits on a trailer at the command center of the Bombing Target 11 range,...... read more read more
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As tempting as it might be to explore the marked prohibited territory such as the fenced-off areas near the mouth of the Neuse River, these restrictions are up for a good reason. The area houses a training site called Bombing Target 11 (BT-11), property of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point. The range offers moving boat targets for aerial and maritime training. Though it might seem like something new, the BT-11 range has been active since the birth of MCAS Cherry Point, dating back to World War II. U.S. Navy Sailors and the MCAS Cherry Point civilian managers at the BT-11 range provide training for units across the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security.
"Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point's training sites, such as BT-11 and BT-9. allow forces from across the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and other federal and state agencies to come and conduct a wide manner of training events to help keep the nation's preparedness high and ready to respond to any threat," said Kenneth Styron, an electronic integrated systems mechanic at the BT-11 range.
At BT-11, there are bright, white target boats, pulled along by a red unmanned High-Speed Maneuverable Surface Target (HSMST). The workers on Piney Island do all the maintenance for each of the HSMST boats. There are several types of targets used on the target boats, including silhouette targets, aviation bombing targets and thermal targets. This type of training offers service members a realistic approach to being able to hit targets moving at high speed through the water. BT-11 is essential to mission success because of the various training it offers.
MCAS Cherry Point and its satellite facilities, such as BT-11 and BT-9, are utilized by military branches across the Department of Defense, allied and partnered nations and local civil organizations. MCAS Cherry Point boasts a wide spectrum of training areas, to include in the air, on ground and at sea, allowing training to be conducted in multiple domains.
| Date Taken: | 09.15.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 10.23.2021 09:28 |
| Story ID: | 407645 |
| Location: | NEW BERN, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 487 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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