Joint Rocket Sleds: Future-Proofed by US Air Force

Rocket sled testing is critical to bridging the gap between the laboratory and full-scale flight tests for weapon systems under development.

Keeping those sleds moving is the focus of a joint effort within the Department of Defense, which operates three sled track organizations, one each at China Lake, California; Eglin Air Force Base, Florida; and Holloman Air Force Base. Two other non-DoD tracks, Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico and a track in Utah, round out what are considered the Big 5 sled tracks.

A newly designed birdchaser is readied for initial checkout testing Dec. 8, 2021, at the Arnold Engineering Development Complex High Speed Test Track at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. Used to mitigate bird and animal strikes during High-Speed Test Track test missions, birdchaser sleds are fired 10 to 40 seconds before the mission sleds. (U.S. Air Force photo by Deidre Moon)

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