Roosevelt Roads (Pictorial)

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q                    V. S. Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, is today a major support facility

for the Atlantic Fleet. One of its most important missions is that of providing targets for, and controlling the firing exercises of U. S. Navy aircraft and warships. Experienced pilots below on the “Rosy Roads” runway and in DT-28 and DF-1D escort aircraft guide drone aircraft and jet targets into the skies of Puerto Rico for !er                      warships to sharpen their teeth on.

Two types of drone targets are flown from Roosevelt Roads: QF-9 Cougar aircraft, shown landing, above; and BQM-34A Firebee targets, shown at upper right. The QF-9s are controlled through take-off by ground controllers; once airborne, a prop-driven DT-28 chase plane takes over. A jet DF-lD chase plane will then take the drone up to speed and altitude and "aim” it at the target area. The procedure is reversed for landing the drones. The QF-9, at right, has sur­vived 11 drone missions.

The BQM-34A Firebee jet target is shown just before being carried aloft by a DP-2E patrol plane of Utility Squadron Eight. Ship and aircraft missiles fired at the drones do not have warheads. Accuracy of the firing is recorded by telemetry equipment in the recoverable drones.

Among the many Fleet support facilities of Roosevelt Roads are the base’s sprawling airfield and its huge, drydock. Offsite Air­field, above, has an 11,000-foot main runway. At left, are the facilities of Utility Squadron Eight; at right, those of Airborne Early Warning Squadron Four—the Navy’s "Hurricane Hunters. A storm-hunting Super Constellation is on the runway at far right. The Roosevelt Roads drydock, although not now opera­tional, is 1,088 feet long and can accommodate any ship afloat including the 85,000-ton USS Enterprise (CVAN-65).

Operation of the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Range is an important mission of the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station. Ships and air­craft of the United States and its NATO Allies regularly test new weapons and train with operational weapons on the range. Seen clockwise from left, are the conference room at range headquarters, the operations control center, and the range headquarters building. Most of the five-story headquarters building is underground.

A plane scores a near miss on barren Roca Pilota during target firing. This area is ad­jacent to Culebra Island which is 20 miles from Roosevelt Roads. Culebra and Vieques Islands are part of the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Range complex. At right is the Culebra Island observation post which records the weapon firings.