Since 1942, R-2515 has seen virtually every major milestone achievement in both manned and unmanned flight. From breaking the sound barrier and development of spacecraft, to the dawn of unmanned systems deployed today, R-2515 remains the premiere airspace, supporting Developmental Test and Evaluation for the United States Air Force.
Restricted Area 2515 (R-2515) supports developmental and follow-on flight test and evaluation of current and next generation aircraft and aerospace systems. These tests ensure capabilities of numerous platforms, from concept to deployment, under the direction of the 412th Test Wing Commander, Edwards Air Force Base, California.
R-2515 covers 1812 square miles and lies within the R-2508 Complex. Internally, R-2515 has several unique work areas developed specifically for hazardous, special use and flight test activities. These areas include UAS operating areas, SPIN areas, Supersonic Flight Corridors, and the Precision Impact Range Area that supports air-ground payload deliveries and laser operations. Due to the hazardous nature of flight test operations, civil users must have permission from the using agency, 412th Test Wing commander, prior to entering. Civil users can request R-2515 access through the R-2515 Airspace Management Office.
Space Positioning Optical Radar Tracking (SPORT) Military Radar Unit (MRU) is the command and control function for R-2515. SPORT MRU real-time de-conflicts flight test activities during normal 412th TW flying operations. SPORT's operational hours are normally M-F, during daylight hours. When R-2515 is not scheduled for DoD use, it is released to the FAA for joint-use.