South Florida Testing Facility

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Located on the south side of Port Everglades inlet in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the South Florida Testing Facility (SFTF) has housed an active, continuously operating Navy range for over forty years. SFTF is the only ship, submarine, and mine-effectiveness test range with simultaneous air, surface, and subsurface tracking capability.

The facility came under the direction of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWCCD) in 1994. It provides the ability to monitor surface ship, submarine, and remote vehicle signatures in the near shore environment. Multiple fixed in-water electromagnetic and acoustic measurement sites at 10, 20 and 200 meters are controlled from a secure range house. The range encompasses the Navy's only shallow and deep magnetic research and development ranges, including submerged operations.

The facility also offers a means to evaluate mine detection, countermeasures and mine response; perform acoustic measurements; and acquire radar cross section (RCS) and infrared signatures. Surface, air and submerged tracking are available on this controlled range. 20 and 200 meter bottom mounted acoustic Doppler current profilers provide continuous current monitoring on the range. There are also deep and shallow water multiplexers allowing for installation of additional sensors on an "as needed" basis without the large expense of running new cables.

The SFTF is a major partner of the South Florida Ocean Measurement Center (SFOMC). SFOMC is a consortium of academic and government organizations, which builds on the technical strengths, assets and shared interests of it's partners, combining Navy ocean measurement capabilities with the science and engineering expertise, technology and equipment of it's members.