Edwards South Base

I was listening to the White House Press Briefing, which BTW is available as a podcast. The secretary mentioned data.gov
data.gov
which I hadn't searched in some time. It turns out they have a blurb on South Base with what looks like two small redactions.
catalog.data.gov...
I provided the link, but here is the text:

Test Support Facility (South Base) Metadata Updated: Oct 15, 2015 The Test Support Facility (TSF) is located on the South Base area of Edwards Air Force Base and was originally constructed to support flight testing of the B-2 weapons system. The complex consists of 119 acres surrounded by a security fence and is protected by sophisticated electronic intrusion detection and access control systems. Within the facility are 5 major buildings and 12 support buildings. The site has a total of 470,545 square feet of usable floor space. The Test Support Facility is totally integrated into the Edwards Flight Test Range and has the capability to acquire data from the local sensors or from the neighboring support ranges Pacific Missile Test Center, Western Test Range, Naval Weapons Center, Utah Test and Training Range, Tonopah Test Range, Eglin Air Force Base) through a variety of data and communications links. Ground testing can be supported through a dedicated fiber-optic backbone which permits direct tie in of the aircraft[HTML_REMOVED]#39;s instrumentation and communications systems to the mission control facility. This capability exists at all nine aircraft parking locations. Support of all known instrumentation systems is possible through simple software modifications. All aspects of a major flight test effort can be supported from this facility including: performance and flying qualities, loads, structures, avionics, avionics simulation, weapons, human factors, logistics, R[HTML_REMOVED]amp;M, EMI/EMC, LO ground testing and user training.

Nothing particularly new here, though I don't recall the links to various bases. Missing is the NTTR, and you would expect the NTTR to be there as a cover to Groom Lake.

One year at the Edwards open house, the media section was moved back from the usual location. This was blamed on the FAA. We were far enough away from the flight line that some of us climbed these rickety old platforms. Turns out those platforms were used in rocket sled tests. Here it is from the Library of Congress:
www.loc.gov...

originally posted by: gariac
It turns out they have a blurb on South Base with what looks like two small redactions.

I think it is some buggered HTML, not redactions.
I think this is the original page:
flcbusiness.federallabs.org...

flcbeta.org...

originally posted by: FosterVS

originally posted by: gariac
It turns out they have a blurb on South Base with what looks like two small redactions.

I think it is some buggered HTML, not redactions.
I think this is the original page:
flcbusiness.federallabs.org...

flcbeta.org...

The Test Support Facility (TSF) is located on the South Base area of Edwards Air Force Base and was originally constructed to support flight testing of the B-2 weapons system. The complex consists of 119 acres surrounded by a security fence and is protected by sophisticated electronic intrusion detection and access control systems. Within the facility are 5 major buildings and 12 support buildings. The site has a total of 470,545 square feet of usable floor space. The Test Support Facility is totally integrated into the Edwards Flight Test Range and has the capability to acquire data from the local sensors or from the neighboring support ranges Pacific Missile Test Center, Western Test Range, Naval Weapons Center, Utah Test and Training Range, Tonopah Test Range, Eglin Air Force Base) through a variety of data and communications links. Ground testing can be supported through a dedicated fiber-optic backbone which permits direct tie in of the aircraft's instrumentation and communications systems to the mission control facility. This capability exists at all nine aircraft parking locations. Support of all known instrumentation systems is possible through simple software modifications. All aspects of a major flight test effort can be supported from this facility including: performance and flying qualities, loads, structures, avionics, avionics simulation, weapons, human factors, logistics, R&M, EMI/EMC, LO ground testing and user training.

De-buggered, or is that un-buggerd text above.

To provide some context on why data.gov was mentioned in the press briefing, a reporter was miffed about slow response to FOIA requests, so the secretary said go search data.gov. Needless to say, I looked for Groom Lake, Area 51, yada yada yada. The best I could do was South Base.

Any guesses on "R&M"? Repair and maintenance is generally MX.

a reply to: gariac

Restoration & Modernization

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: gariac

Restoration & Modernization

No its Reliability & Maintainability.

The modernization acronym is usually AMP for Avionics Modernization Program.

a reply to: darkwarrior

It's been awhile.

a reply to: gariac
Sorry I've been MIA good people, I had to keep a low profile until I got back from touring Edwards. Didn't want to risk the chance of being able to stand directly in front of YF-22 #01 , and a few other surprises
A few things that I was told that I'm confident will not get anyone in trouble:
It's VERY active down South, as it has some new tenants. And it's pretty obvious what's active down there. more to come

a reply to: HomeyKXTA

Have you seen her yourself?!

Excited to see some photos of whatevers flying out of there soon!

a reply to: HomeyKXTA

Yes it is. It will be simmering down a little in a bit though. Just a little.

But yeah the traffic coming out of that base for the last few months is more than I've seen before.

originally posted by: BASSPLYR
a reply to: HomeyKXTA

Yes it is. It will be simmering down a little in a bit though. Just a little.

But yeah the traffic coming out of that base for the last few months is more than I've seen before.

Are you referring to EDW in general, so you have have an eyeball on South Base.

I never caught any, but I've been told contractors on military bases like to use digital radios, specify DMR. They are practically throw away devices (a bit over $100) and have encryption enough to deter monitoring from most listeners. But the DMR traffic itself is detectable, which falls under "traffic analysis."

The only DMR I ever spotted around the Nellis range turned out to be the bus driver for the NTS.

a reply to: gariac

Yeah, North base was strictly a no-go, but our tour guide said at first we'd get to drive by it, but that proved to be a big fat lie.
A certain canyon of hangars was so live as we were passing, the bus had to stop whilst crewmen shut all the hangar doors. Mind you, this was after we'd driven by the flight line and checking out the Global hawk in its hangar from less than a 30 foot distance.
But it was worth it. They opened the restoration hangar and there was the museums newest edition. Test pilot "Cooley's" (Rest in peace) retired F-117, including all exterior decals, tail number, as well as...
a small scorpion decal

a reply to: gfad

I did not see what was down there, but plenty of people told us what was down there, since its now in the "grey zone". I'll let you figure out the rest
Also was told the squad that's flying her, but that squadrons number will probably be released officially soon enough =X

originally posted by: HomeyKXTA
a reply to: gariac

Yeah, North base was strictly a no-go, but our tour guide said at first we'd get to drive by it, but that proved to be a big fat lie.
A certain canyon of hangars was so live as we were passing, the bus had to stop whilst crewmen shut all the hangar doors. Mind you, this was after we'd driven by the flight line and checking out the Global hawk in its hangar from less than a 30 foot distance.
But it was worth it. They opened the restoration hangar and there was the museums newest edition. Test pilot "Cooley's" (Rest in peace) retired F-117, including all exterior decals, tail number, as well as...
a small scorpion decal

David Cooley

Link explains who Cooley was. It is nice they are restoring his plane. I didn't know he was RAF until I read his wiki.

a reply to: HomeyKXTA

I'm too impatient! Can someone get down to the flightline and snap some shots?

Heard that they are moving something to South Base from another facility around March16th/17th timeframe in the evening. Call sign Stingray?

a reply to: MAVERICKANDGOOSE

Pretty sure we're all reading the same forum you are

originally posted by: gfad
a reply to: MAVERICKANDGOOSE

Pretty sure we're all reading the same forum you are

Anyone have any news about the arrival of our friend?