CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. (WRTV) -- A military aviator on Wednesday said a new facility for testing the flares and chaff aircraft carry will save lives.Officials on Wednesday afternoon cut the ribbon on a sled track at Camp Atterbury . The first of its kind in the United States, the track will allow technicians from Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane to test aircraft countermeasures without having to schedule an expensive test flight. A hydraulically powered sled capable of reaching the speed of sound will run along the track while dispensing flares, metallic chaff or other decoys.NSWC Crane Technical Director Dr. Angela Lewis said not only is a sled track safer and less expensive than a test flight, it also allows researchers to improve on countermeasures more quickly. In addition, she said a sled track makes it easier to collect precise data from each test."We can definitely deliver these countermeasures and flares faster and at less cost than we have in the past," she said.Military aircraft carry flares and other countermeasures to interfere with enemy missiles' ability to track them and shoot them down. It's a personal issue for program manager Col. Russell Strange. Strange had to use flares to foil an incoming missile while he was flying a mission to jam improvised explosive devices during the Iraq War."Muscle memory, I just started popping flares. Those flares were tested by folks at Crane 30-some years ago," he said. "This sled track is going to test the next generation of expendables for decades to come. It's going to protect our sailors, our Marines, our airmen, ones that aren't even born yet are going to reap the benefits of what this sled track is."Crane officials said construction of the track began in March and cost a little less than $4 million. Once it becomes fully operational, they said they will be able to do a test run every 20 minutes if they need to. Lewis said they build the track at Camp Atterbury rather than on the grounds of NSWC Crane itself because it is a more central location in the state and because it is highly secure. ...read more read less