The U.S. Army opens test ranges to private companies to help overcome ammunition production capacity bottlenecks.

The U.S. Army is expanding the external access permissions for its testing ranges and facilities, aiming to accelerate the delivery of new types of ammunition, drones, and various other weapons to the battlefield. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll announced the initiative on Friday. Over the past five months, the U.S. military has consumed thousands of advanced missiles and interceptors from its stockpile during military operations against Iran. Government officials revealed that President Trump has ordered an investigation into the leak of information regarding the Pentagons ammunition stockpiles, which is also part of his efforts to respond to negative revelations related to the Iran war. Driscoll stated during a press call on Friday, Qualified companies can be authorized to use our domestic ranges or overseas ranges within 30 days after applying. Military testing ranges can simulate various conditions that weapons would encounter in real combat environments, such as electronic interference. The Army operates seven large testing ranges, and the National Guard manages numerous other ranges. In recent years, as the military has pushed forward projects related to new-generation weapons such as drones, laser weapons, and high-speed hypersonic missiles, the demand for testing ranges has surged. The announcement released on Friday opened up more range resources, but due to demand pressures and administrative approval processes, companies wishing to use the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico still need to wait at least 12-18 months. This range is a core testing base for the Army, where the worlds first atomic bomb was detonated in 1945.