Spring in the air, but for the United States Army officials got out the shovels, not to do some planting. Instead, last month, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the U.S. Army Redstone Test Center’s (RTC’s) new Military Systems Electromagnetic Test Support (MSETS) facility.
RTC, located on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, is a subordinate command of the Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) and provides technical expertise and testing for missiles, aviation, and unmanned systems. The center already operates numerous advanced test facilities, including the Aviation Test and Instrumentation Integration Facility (ATIIF).
Test Chamber Coming Soon
The project has already been 25 years in the making. One completed in 2028, the congressionally funded facility will become home to the Army’s largest radio-frequency anechoic chamber, a shielded, reflection-free testing room designed to eliminate external radio signals and internal signal echoes. The completed facility will be employed to assess the impact of the electromagnetic spectrum on integrated equipment for ground vehicles and all Army rotary-wing aircraft, including the future MV-75, the Army’s latest aircraft currently in development.
It will encompass more than 28,000 square feet and will be lined with radiation-absorbent material (RAM). It simulates free space (infinite space) to test antennas, radar, and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC).
Present at the ceremony last month were leaders from across Redstone Arsenal and the defense industry. They were joined by Rep. Dale Strong, who represents Alabama’s 5th Congressional District.
“MSETS is a game-changer,” explained James Amato, executive technical director of the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command. “It provides a critical capability that we currently lack at Redstone — the ability to test for electromagnetic effects on our largest and most complex aviation platforms, right here where they are developed and sustained.”
The Army’s Largest Anechoic Chamber
Col. Joseph Alexander, commander of RTC, has said the new facility will allow for testing of more lethal and reliable weapon systems.
It will include a 120-foot by 105-foot chamber to provide a 100 dB quiet RF ambient for instrumentation checkout, safety-of-flight testing (Noise Floor and EMC), jammer and distributed RF Cyber testing.
“RTC capabilities that will be available once MSETS is completed in 2028 include GPS Denied/Synthetic GPS Wrap Around Environments, Electronic Warfare testing, Antenna Characterization, EMC/Noisefloor testing, and potentially Interconnectivity for Distributed Live, Virtual Constructive Testing,” the Army explained.
The U.S. Army currently operates additional chambers at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, and White Sands Missile Range, N.M., with the latter facility featuring two dedicated anechoic facilities.
Arsenal or Construction Site?
The RTC facility isn’t the only program at the Redstone Arsenal, and officials may need to get used to the sound of construction efforts that could last well into the next decade.
Redstone Arsenal will also be the future home of the United States Space Command (SPACECOM) headquarters. Ground has yet to be broken on that facility, but construction is expected to begin in 2027 and be completed in 2031. Work on a smaller facility is now underway, with around 200 staff expected to be at the base by the end of this year.
Renovations are underway at the Marshall Space Flight Center, which won’t be completed until early next year. The 3,000-square-foot building will be used for training and classrooms as part of a $2.5 million renovation program.
Work also continues on the arsenal’s Missile and Space Intelligence Center (MSIC) expansion. Although the first phase of the $130 million Advanced Analysis Complex was set for completion in September 2025, further expansion, including a new multi-purpose operational facility and data center, remains ongoing or in the planning stages.
In addition, a new electrical substation on the base continues, as does the multi-year replacement project for the installation’s water lines.
Given all the current construction projects and future plans at Redstone Arsenal, it might be wise to keep those shovels handy!
