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Photos: 'Train warriors, test weapons'

At the Utah Test & Training Range, the U.S. Air Force puts its combat pilots through rigorous trials of bombing runs akin to what they might face in Iraq or Afghanistan.

CNET Reviews staff
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Command Center

At Hill Air Force Base, north of Salt Lake City, personnel from the 388th Range Squadron, as well groups of civilians and various contractors can watch and direct missions at the Utah Test & Training Range (UTTR), the Defense Department's largest bombing range.

CNET News reporter Daniel Terdiman visited both UTTR and the command center at Hill Air Force Base as part of his Road Trip 2009 project.

At UTTR, the Air Force, as well as other military services practice hitting targets with both inert and live bombs, and from most active Air Force bombers.

Click here for the entire Road Trip 2009 package.

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Cine-T

A cine-thedolite, which is used by the Air Force at UTTR to photograph missions. At least three, and ideally four, cine-T's, as they're known, are spread out over several miles and used to triangulate imagery of bombing missions, allowing the Air Force to collect data on the missions to within centimeter accuracy.

For .

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Inside a Cine-T

A look inside a Cine-theodolite at the Utah Test & Training Range, which is operated by the U.S. Air Force's 388th Range Squadron.

Click here for the entire Road Trip 2009 package.

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The cameras inside the Cine-T

A look up at the cameras inside a Cine-T. For now, the Air Force is still using film for these cameras, but it is looking to transition to digital as soon as the quality and speed becomes cost-effective.

Click here for the entire Road Trip 2009 package.

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Joystick

The joystick that is used to adjust elevation and azimuth on the cameras inside a Cine-T.

Click here for the entire Road Trip 2009 package.

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Elevation and azimuth

The digital readouts that show the camera operator the elevation and azimuth they've set as they try to photograph the bombing runs at the Utah Test & Training Range.

Click here for the entire Road Trip 2009 package.

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TRAIN antenna

An antenna for the Threat Reaction Analyzing System, which is used to bring in signals from the bombing ranges so that everyone involved in a mission can determine how the pilot did.

Click here for the entire Road Trip 2009 package.

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Main MUTE

A MUTE, or a Multiple Threat Emitter Simulator, which is designed to send out signals that pilots of bombers on missions at the Utah Test & Training Range will receive and interpret as data affecting their mission.

So, for example, analysts can program many different kinds of threats that the pilots must deal with as they carry out their mission on the base just as if they were dealing with the threats on a real bombing mission.

Click here for the entire Road Trip 2009 package.

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Container targets

A wall of shipping containers makes up a target for pilots to try to hit when they run missions at the Utah Test & Training Range.

Click here for the entire Road Trip 2009 package.

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MiniMUTEs

Smaller MUTEs, each of which has between five and seven transmitters, instead of 19 on a main MUTE, and which is designed to challenge pilots with scenarios to mimic what they'd encounter during real-world missions. The MUTE operators, then, are the "bad guys," trying to stop the pilots from completing their missions by throwing wrenches in the works.

Click here for the entire Road Trip 2009 package.

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MUTE Transmitter

A system designed to send out the signals that will try to challenge pilots with real-world-like scenarios as they run missions at the Utah Test & Training Range.

These systems are spread around the range so that pilots might be challenged from any direction at any time.

Click here for the entire Road Trip 2009 package.

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IFF Screen

Analysts track the pilots on these IFF--Identification Friend or Foe--screens, which shows a symbol for any aircraft in the region. The white symbols represent commercial aircraft, while military craft would be in orange-yellow.

Click here for the entire Road Trip 2009 package.

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Drone launcher

A launching site used to send up drones that act as unmanned targets that pilots must contend with while they carry out missions at the range.

Click here for the entire Road Trip 2009 package.

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Drones

Several drones that will be used as unmanned targets at the Utah Test & Training Range.

Click here for the entire Road Trip 2009 package.

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Pulling tank

This tank is used at the range to autonomously pull targets around the range. The tank is set up to run a specific course at a specific speed without a human driver. The target trails behind and pilots must try to hit it.

Click here for the entire Road Trip 2009 package.

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GPS F-350

The Air Force is preparing to deploy this Ford F-350 truck, which it has geared up with tens of thousands of dollars of GPS equipment so that the truck can autonomously pull a moving target at more than 50 miles an hour.

A driver will run the truck through a course first, and then afterward, it should be able to drive itself through the same course.

Click here for the entire Road Trip 2009 package.

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Logos on the windshield

Logos on the windshield of the Ford truck that will be used to autonomously pull a moving target at more than 50 miles an hour.

Click here for the entire Road Trip 2009 package.

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