Photo By Lance Cpl. Nicholas Figueroa | U.S. Marines with 3rd Littoral Combat Team, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII - The Kaneohe Bay Range Training Complex (KRTC) supports the training and readiness of several military branches, as well as federal and local entities, year-round. Due to KRTC’s ability to support a multitude of trainings and operations, it has quickly become a critical enabler of the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise. RIMPAC is the largest maritime training exercise in the world, and it takes place right here at KRTC.
“Its [KRTC] proximity to real-world operational theaters, combined with its ability to support multi-domain, multi-force training, makes it a cornerstone of regional readiness,” said Infantry Gunner Chief Warrant Officer 2 Hunter Bernius, gunner of KRTF and Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH) range control operations officer.
KRTC boasts 11 numbered live-fire ranges and specialized facilities. Ranges 1-3 consist of static firing lines, a 360-degree Modular Armored Tactical Combat House with breaching capabilities, and fire and movement lanes. Ranges 4-7 support training around .50 caliber and below live-fire, M3A1 multi-role anti-armor anti-personnel weapon system, M72 light anti-tank weapon, AT-4 rocket launcher, and 40-millimeter target practice and high-explosive rounds. Ranges 9-11 are equipped to train long-distance rifle, M67 grenade throwing pits, and 60-millimeter mortars. Additionally, KRTC contains multiple urban operations sites, each with breaching points, tunnel systems, rooftops, and hard walls.
“KRTC is not only a training area, but also a mission rehearsal platform for the Indo-Pacific warfighter,” said Bernius.
KRTC also supports helicopter insertion/extraction (fast rope, rappel, rooftop insertions), amphibious operations, including surf-zone operations, boat landings across multiple craft landing zones, and special insertion/extraction training, such as: military free fall and low-level static line parachute operations, combatant dive operations using ocean-to-inland infiltration profiles, subsurface and surface approaches for recon and special operations forces; joint air-ground integration, including small unmanned aircraft systems and rotary-wing support.
“These users (of KRTC) conduct training from individual skill sets to advanced mission rehearsal, supported by a range complex tailored for urban, jungle, maritime, and littoral warfare,” said Bernius.
It also features the Boondocker and Pyramid Rock Training Area for unit-level patrolling and ambush drills, and the previously mentioned amphibious insertions. Units can conduct day and night operations, utilizing urban operations facilities, live-fire shoot houses, and integrated force-on-force scenarios using Special Effects Small Arm Marking System and Ultimate Training Munitions rounds.
KRTC is a joint and interagency training hub that is actively utilized in support of a wide spectrum of personnel. 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, Marine Recon, III MEF Expeditionary Operations Training Group, U.S. Army 25th Infantry Division, Army Rangers and Special Forces, U.S. Navy SEAL Teams, and federal and local agencies, including the FBI, DEA, NCIS, Honolulu Police Department, and joint trainings, all benefit from the training opportunities offered at KRTF.
“Most notably, KRTC is a critical enabler of RIMPAC, a biennial large-scale exercise designed to validate full-spectrum, integrated capabilities,” said Bernius. “RIMPAC leverages the full potential of KRTC to bring together air, ground, sea, and special operations forces within a single, cohesive operating environment.”
KRTC showcases not just Marine Corps Base Hawaii’s growing partnerships, but its ability to lead and support interoperable training at the speed and scale required in today’s operational landscape. From special operations forces insertions to amphibious assaults and force-on-force urban warfare, KRTC brings it all together in one of the most strategically vital locations in the Indo-Pacific.
| Date Taken: | 10.01.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 10.01.2025 22:16 |
| Story ID: | 549843 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HAWAII, US |
| Hometown: | MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 82 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The One-Stop Range Complex: KRTC supports the Indo-Pacific Warfighter, by Sgt Julian Elliott-Drouin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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