Cold Regions Test Center (CRTC)

Mission Statement:

The Army's cold, winter, mountain and northern environmental test center is a large, outdoor test area of over 670,000 acres with special use restricted airspace from the surface to unlimited altitude. The testing effort is centered at the Bolio Lake Test Complex, Alaska, from which CRTC accommodates a full range of cold weather or temperate climate tests, depending on the season. Bolio Lake provides automotive cold start capabilities and a base for Soldier equipment tests. Ranges are also available for mine, explosives, small arms tests, direct fire tests, sensor testing, air defense, missile, artillery, smoke and obscurant tests, and mobility testing. CRTC can accommodate indirect fire testing with the capability of observed fire to 30 km and unobserved fire to 50 km. Indirect fire, up to 100 km, can also be accomplished by utilizing ranges near Fort Wainwright, Alaska with the impact on Fort Greely areas. Supporting infrastructure include a facility for surveillance testing, ammunition storage area, administrative areas, communications circuits, meteorological sites, and an extensive network of roads and trails. Airfield-based and tactical air operations are supported and airdrop zones/facilities are available.