It is widely recognized that the eastern Gulf Range is a national treasure, unable to be replicated anywhere else in the continental United States.
The EGTTR connects ranges and capabilities across the eastern Gulf of Mexico extending from NW Florida to Key West. As the largest military range in the continental United States, it includes DoD controlled air-space, land ranges, and shoreline accommodating water-to-land transitions, high-altitude supersonic air combat training, air-to-air missile testing, air-to-ground targeting, drone testing and targeting, hypersonic weapons testing, space launches, and other activities. The EGTTR is vital for testing the next generation of air armaments, and for training in realistic combat-surrogate conditions. The expansive size supports large-footprint weapons that cannot be tested on other land-based ranges, and supports the ability to execute multiple missions simultaneously in the maritime, air, and land spaces. The EGTTR complex is an integral part of DoD’s Training Resources Strategy.
While drilling advocates have cited a potential economic impact resulting from drilling activities in the eastern Gulf as near 56,000 jobs and $2.6 billion in annual revenue; the resultant loss would be much greater. As an example, the January 2022 Florida Defense Factbook sites Eglin Air Force Base in NW Florida as providing an impact of over $9 billion annually and over 74,000 jobs. That economic impact would be at risk, not to mention our national security, if drilling and related exploratory activities were allowed in the Gulf’s military training range.
Oil drilling structures and wind turbines in the EGTTR have been identified as being incompatible with military activities, would negatively impact our military’s readiness and compromise our nation’s military superiority.
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