The Churchville Test Area is a
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
facility of the
Aberdeen Proving Ground
Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) is a U.S. Army facility located adjacent to Aberdeen, Harford County, Maryland, United States. More than 7,500 civilians and 5,000 military personnel work at APG. There are 11 major commands among the tenant units, ...
, located northeast of
Bel Air, Maryland
The town of Bel Air is the county seat of Harford County, Maryland, Harford County, Maryland. According to the 2020 United States census, the population of the town was 10,661.
The United States Census Bureau defines an urban area in northeast ...
(in
Harford County, Maryland
Harford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 260,924. Its county seat is Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland, Bel Air. Harford County is included in the Wa ...
, U.S.).
The Churchville Test Area () is a hilly set of cross-country road test tracks providing a variety of steep natural grades and tight turns designed to stress engines, drivetrains and suspension systems for Army vehicles, such as the
M1 Abrams
The M1 Abrams () is a third-generation American main battle tank designed by Chrysler Defense (now General Dynamics Land Systems) and named for General Creighton Abrams. Conceived for modern armored ground warfare, it is one of the heavies ...
tank
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine; ...
s,
M2 Bradley
The M2 Bradley, or Bradley IFV, is an American infantry fighting vehicle that is a member of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle family. It is manufactured by BAE Systems Land & Armaments (formerly United Defense) and entered service in 1981, with fi ...
fighting vehicle and the
Humvee
The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV; colloquial: Humvee) is a family of Military light utility vehicle, light, four-wheel drive Military vehicle#Military trucks, military trucks and utility vehicles produced by AM General. It ...
.
The Test Area consists of of interconnected roads and test courses located on , with both closed loop courses, mud, dust and gravel surfaces, and grades ranging from 7% to 29%.
On March 21, 2007, the Army celebrated the designation of a buffer-zone alongside the Churchville Test Area, in conjunction with the Harford County Government, the Harford Land Trust, and the Hopkins family. Part of the US Army's ''Compatible Use Buffer'' program, under the
Pentagon's environmental protection initiative, this land-use purchase was $1.4M (US).
See also
*
US Army Ordnance Museum
The United States Army Ordnance Training Support Facility (formerly known as the U.S. Army Ordnance Training and Heritage Center and U.S. Army Ordnance Museum) artifacts are used to train and educate logistic soldiers. It re-located to Fort Gre ...
*
Aberdeen, Maryland
Aberdeen is a city located in Harford County, Maryland, United States, northeast of Baltimore. The population was 16,254 at the 2020 United States census. Aberdeen is the largest municipality in Harford County.
Aberdeen is part of the Baltimo ...
Notes and references
External links
Aberdeen Test CenterAPG Official siteAPG History
{{US Army navbox
Research installations of the United States Army
Buildings and structures in Harford County, Maryland