The Center for Land Use Interpretation Newsletter

On Targets

CIRCULAR SAMPLES FROM THE DOZENS OF IMPACT RANGES ACROSS AMERICA

5469Part of Pinecastle Impact Range, a 6,000-acre naval training site in Florida. (And yes, “FRED” is spelled out in shipping containers.) Google Earth imageTHERE ARE ALL KINDS of targets out there across the American land. They are square, triangular, rectangular, circular, and linear. Some are in the shapes of other things, like airbases, villages, convoys, industrial areas, surface-to-air missile sites. Old airplanes, trucks, tanks, cars, buses, boats, tires, mounds of earth, and empty shipping containers are used.  Some targets are meant to be physically bombed or strafed, others electronically.

The most focused type of target, the classic target you might say, is circular, like a bullseye. It’s simple geometric embrace of space defines a periphery, and center. Though largely two-dimensional when seen from above, shown as a gallery they have an cosmological air, whether a planetary hard mass pulled in by gravity, or a solar gas in a sustained continuous explosion. The tension between being drawn inwards toward the ground and exploding outwards is in equilibrium. Some people say that these days everything is a target. These, however, undoubtedly are, and they are out there for the world to see, on internet-based satellite imagery providers, like Google Earth.

5455Superior Valley Range, California. Google Earth image

5456Boardman Bombing Range, Oregon. Google Earth image

5457Dugway Proving Ground, Utah. Google Earth image

5458Oscura Range, New Mexico. Google Earth image

5459Razorback Range, Arkansas. Google Earth image

5460Dare County Range, North Carolina. Google Earth image

5461Townsend Bombing Range, Georgia. Google Earth image

Image
aerial image of bomb target
Eglin Air Force Range, Florida. Google Earth image

5463Avon Park Air Force Range, Florida. Google Earth image

5464Smoky Hill Air National Guard Range, Kansas. Google Earth image

5465Melrose Air Force Range, New Mexico. Google Earth image

5466Utah Test and Training Range, Utah. Google Earth image

5467Barry M. Goldwater Range, Arizona. Google Earth image

5468Navy Target 68, California. Google Earth image