Dugway Awarded $4.6m For Capability Improvements

DUGWAY PROVING GROUND, Utah — Test programs at Dugway Proving Ground are getting a big boost with the help of two financial proposals that will allow for investment in critical capabilities.

The Central Test and Evaluation Investment Program is the DoD’s corporate investment vehicle for modernizing the department’s test and evaluation infrastructure and is managed by the Test Resource Management Center. CTEIP resolves immediate test gaps using the Quick Reaction Test Capability portfolio. The purpose of the QRTC Program is to develop test capabilities for the services and DoD agencies to meet immediate and near-term test and evaluation needs.

In the FY24 round 2 data call, Dugway Proving Ground submitted two proposals: Warfighter Ensemble Protection Rapid Test Laboratories; and Modeling and Simulation of Chemical and Biological Threats for Multi Domain Operations Distributed Tests.

The WEP RTL proposal will address gaps in modernization of both chemical fixtures and lab space used for chemical agent testing in the Combined Chemical Test Facility by addressing shortfalls in current laboratory hoods with state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, gloveboxes and safety equipment to allow for safe and efficient operations. The facility will include glovebox chambers designed to house all the test fixtures thus maintaining containment integrity to the highest standard.

The M&S CBT proposal improves the modeling and simulation of chemical and biological agent clouds during live, virtual, constructive multi-domain operation test scenarios. Enhancing of these models provides a more threat-realistic environment that can accurately challenge chemical and biological sensors. This updated modeling and simulation environment will help Dugway in future multi-domain operation events by providing a capability that has not existed to date. Furthermore, this effort will potentially allow Dugway to reduce the number of actual tests by being able to simulate the test environment in a virtual world.

After review by Test Resource Management Center, both proposals were selected for funding totaling $4.6 million. This was a significant win for Dugway Proving Ground and will allow for investment in important capability areas that will support test programs and DPG customers for many years to come.