From the beginning, the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) has relied on cutting-edge technology to ensure that the equipment issued to its Soldiers works well anytime, anywhere.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened the Yuma Test Branch in 1943 near the current location of the test site under the Laguna Dam on the Colorado River.

The site was considered an ideal place to test a fast-flowing, mobile combat bridge that could be controlled by engineers.

As soon as the Test Division was put into operation, the Army established Camp Laguna to train troops in mechanized warfare. Camp Laguna was one of 12 major US Army desert training camps in the California-Arizona Exercise Area. General George S. Patton. Over 15,000 troops were stationed at Campragna, where he was usually stationed for six months.

After World War II, the Yuma Test Branch continued to operate, but testing activities focused on the effects of the desert environment on engineering equipment such as high-speed tractors, semi-trailers and rotating cranes. In 1950 the Test Department closed and reopened a year later under the new name Yuma Test Station, with a greatly expanded mission that made the facility a major part of the nation’s artillery testing workload. In addition, tests of armored vehicles, armor systems and air supply systems began.

The post was renamed Yuma Proving Ground in 1963. In 1971, after the construction of the most highly equipped helicopter weapons test site in the United States, the aircraft weapons test mission was permanently transferred from the Aberdeen, Maryland test site to his YPG. Known as the Cibola Range, it is particularly suited to support testing of aeronautical systems and munitions, armed helicopters, air transport systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, and precision navigation systems. The iconic AH-64 Apache helicopter underwent all development tests at Yuma.

The YPG’s testing of unmanned aerial systems dates back to the late 1950s. The first hangar was built at the Castle Dome Heliport. Castle Dome Heliport is one of several airfields on the proving ground, built to support drone competitions. With approximately 2,000 miles of restricted airspace, the test site is as close as possible to an ideal location for testing unmanned aerial vehicles. With clean, stable air and a very dry climate, bad weather is rare, making it highly coveted by both military and commercial customers.

From 1974 to 1990, work on the development of the Global Positioning System (GPS) took place here. YPG did the testing after the proving ground proved it could develop at a low cost and provide test data in a way no other test facility at the time could. GPS testing included three flights a day over his decade-plus years after a major upgrade to the rangefinder was completed.

Over 200 miles of automotive test courses and other test facilities capable of handling nearly any type of field performance and controlled engineering test are set up at the proving ground. These include paved slopes, side slopes, obstacles, calibrated ride and handling courses, skid pads for dry and wet pavement handling, different material mud courses with adjustable moisture content, and cross-country courses. Critical military systems such as the M1 Abrams tank, the M3 Bradley combat vehicle, the Stryker armored vehicle, and the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle have been tested over hundreds of thousands of miles.

Before and during the Gulf War, all major ground weapon systems deployed in Saudi Arabia underwent testing at the Proving Ground. The YPG also played a critical role in supporting soldiers deployed to Southwest Asia after the 9/11 attacks. When mortar attacks constituted the deadliest threat to U.S. forces early in operations in Iraq, rapid testing of counter-rocket and mortar technology on the proving ground neutralized the danger. has shifted to the use of deadly roadside bombs and other improvised explosive devices, the YPG is highly equipped to simulate the electromagnetic environment affecting electronic equipment as well as the physical characteristics of urban areas in Southwest Asia. built a simulated village.

Needing an upgraded truck for testing combat vehicles, YPG partnered with automaker General Motors (GM) in 2007. The deal built paved and unpaved tracks for GM to use for high temperature environmental testing of commercial vehicles, and the Army for military vehicles. GM’s Desert Proving Ground opened his proving ground in 2009 and today tests virtually every vehicle the company makes.

Today, the Proving Ground actively supports Army Futures Command’s six cross-departmental teams building the future force of the U.S. Army.The attacks of 9/11. YPG hosted Project Convergence 20 and 21, and Project Convergence 22 technology gateways.

Desert natural environment testing is performed at the YPG’s Yuma Test Center, cold weather testing is performed at the Cold Weather Testing Center at Fort Greeley, Alaska, and tropical testing is performed at the Tropical Regional Testing Centers operating in Central and South America.

The YPG’s mission today is to ensure that the weapon systems and equipment issued to U.S. Soldiers throughout its history work safely and as intended, anywhere in the world. This work, which represents America’s national defense, is a source of pride for his more than 2,400 Yuma County residents who work at the proving ground.