The deep water Weapons Range lies roughly parallel to the east coast of Andros Island. Use of the total range is referred to as “Weapons Range”, while dividing the range into two distinct portions, the northern section is referred to as “Weapons Range North”, whereas the southern portion is called “Weapons Range South”. AN/WQC-2A Sonar Communications Sets and Bi-Directional Communications Nodes provide underwater voice communications for mobile target and emergency command signal coverage, while HF, UHF, and VHF radio communications are available over the entire range. The tenders and the cab were adjusted so she could run the entire line. Tsunamis are particularly devastating, caused by waves triggered due to volcanic eruptions. Following a study of possible locations for a permanent headquarters the West Palm Beach, Florida area was chosen due to the combined facilities of the airport and the Port of Palm Beach, plus its proximity to Andros Island.
In May 1967, headquarters personnel moved from Orlando to West Palm Beach and established offices at the Palm Beach International Airport in the building which was formerly the Airport Terminal. On 26 February 1967, AUTEC was commissioned at West Palm Beach when Admiral E. J. Fahy, Commander, Naval Ship Systems Command, presented Captain Jackson with orders making him the first Commanding Officer, and AUTEC became an operational field activity. These in-air systems cover the AUTEC Weapons Range up to a distance of 500 nautical miles (930 km) from Site 1 and a height of 70,000 feet (21,000 m). In-air tracking is provided by radars and various other in-air tracking systems such as LATR, the Hyperbolic In-Air Tracking System (HITS), and Differential GPS (DGPS). Surveillance radars operate to support air and surface safety. Temporary U.S. Mainland Headquarters was opened at the Orlando Air Force Base in September 1966 with Captain L. L. Jackson, Jr., being assigned as Prospective Commanding Officer.
Construction of the Navy’s Main Base and the downrange tracking sites on Andros Island began in March 1964, and the initial cadre of officers and men arrived by U.S. Navy LST in August 1965. In October of that year, Commander G. P Barney arrived as the first permanent Officer-in-charge, Andros Ranges, and the official dedication of AUTEC was held on 14 April 1966. The complex electronics installation was accomplished from fall of 1965 to fall of 1966, and in September 1966 RCA Service Company was awarded the Maintenance and Operations Contract for AUTEC. In the mid-1980s she arrived in Baasrode. The in-water portion of the Weapons Range covers 500 square nautical miles (1,700 km²). This range can be divided into two distinct tracking areas consisting of roughly 250 square nautical miles (850 km²). Electronic Warfare Threat Simulator (EWTS) is a real-time system that can generate complex, dynamic, electromagnetic signal environments at the radio frequency (RF) level. AUTEC also performs some biological research in the surrounding ocean environments.
These, however, occur underwater when colder water hits warm ocean water. Its only exposure to the open ocean is at the northern end, and except for this ocean opening, the TOTO is surrounded by numerous islands, reefs, and shoals which make a peripheral shelter isolating it from ocean disturbances, particularly high ambient noise which degrades undersea tests and evaluations. Often, the lever is pushed to the “small” setting to provide a continuous masking noise for privacy, as discussed below. A joint United States/United Kingdom Agreement signed in 1963 with the concurrence of the Bahamian Government, enabled the United States to develop this area of water and certain territory on the east coast of Andros Island, readily accessible to the TOTO, and there install equipment to build three offshore test ranges. To keep the two areas separated, shoes are taken off before entering the house so that the unclean shoes do not touch the “clean” area inside of the house. The railway has been used occasionally by various film and television production companies to shoot movie scenes that are too elaborate to be filmed on the Belgian national railway network because of the potential disruption to traffic. The Dendermonde-Puurs Steam Railway (Stoomtrein Dendermonde-Puurs) is a heritage railway situated in the Belgian provinces of East Flanders (Oost-Vlaanderen) and Antwerp (Antwerpen).
