Proving ground

{{Short description|Place or situation where thing or person is tried or tested}}

{{other uses|Proving ground (disambiguation)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}

{{Refimprove|date=June 2014}}

A proving ground is an installation or reservation in which technology such as weapons, military tactics and automobile prototypes are experimented with or tested. Proving grounds can be operated by government bodies or civilian industries. They are distinct from military training areas which are run by the military and intended for the routine training and exercising of troops across the terrain.

Military and government

= Germany =

=Portugal=

  • Field Firing Range of Alcochete, Lisbon and Tagus Valley region, an artillery and bombing range facility opened in 1904, under Portuguese Air Force control since 1993, but also used by other military branches and law enforcement agencies for training purposes. With a surface area of 7,539 hectares, it is located roughly 30 km east of Lisbon. This proving ground is planned to close and relocate (possibly to Mértola, Alentejo{{cite news |last1=Pereira |first1=Helena |last2=Mesquita |first2=Joana |date=15 May 2024 |title=Campo de Tiro da Força Aérea pode ir de Alcochete para Mértola |trans-title=Air Force proving ground may be relocated from Alcochete to Mértola |url=https://www.publico.pt/2024/05/15/politica/noticia/campo-tiro-forca-aerea-ir-alcochete-mertola-2090577 |language=Portuguese |work=Público |location= |access-date=15 December 2024}}) owing to the construction of Luís de Camões Airport (planned to open in 2034).

= Russia / Former Soviet Union =

In Russia, a designated area is usually called a "polygon".

= South Korea =

  • Anheung Proving Ground, Taean County{{cite news |url=http://www.armscontrolwonk.com/archive/1203462/anheung-proving-ground/ |publisher=Arms Control Wonk |first=Jeffrey |last=Lewis |date=28 June 2017 |title=Anheung Proving Ground |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628195853/http://www.armscontrolwonk.com/archive/1203462/anheung-proving-ground/ |archive-date=28 June 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/ArmsControlWonk/status/878626457894789125 |publisher=Twitter |first=Jeffrey |last=Lewis |date=24 June 2017 |access-date=28 June 2017 |title=South Korean President Moon watched a missile test. We don't pay enough attention to South Korea's missiles}}
  • Changwon Proving Ground, Changwon City{{cite web|url=https://www.add.re.kr/board?menuId=MENU02262&siteId=SITE00003|title=Changwon Proving Ground|publisher=Agency for Defense Development|date=|archiveurl=|archivedate=|accessdate=|author=}}
  • Darakdae Proving Ground, Pocheon City{{cite web|url=https://www.add.re.kr/board?menuId=MENU02978&siteId=null|title=Facilities|publisher=Agency for Defense Development|date=|archiveurl=|archivedate=|accessdate=|author=}}{{cite web|url=https://www.add.re.kr/board?menuId=MENU02976&siteId=null|title=Pocheon (Darakdae Proving Ground)|publisher=Agency for Defense Development|date=|archiveurl=|archivedate=|accessdate=|author=}}

= Sweden =

  • Bofors Test Center{{cite web|url=https://www.testcenter.se/infrastructure/proving-ground/|title=Proving Ground|work=Bofors Test Center|access-date=15 September 2023}}

= United States =

In the United States, there are several military facilities that have been explicitly designated as proving grounds.

Automotive

Automotive proving grounds{{cite journal |last1=Szalay |first1=Zs. |last2=Nyerges |first2=Á. |last3=Hamar |first3=H. |last4=Hesz |first4=M. |title=Technical Specification Methodology for an Automotive Proving Ground Dedicated to Connected and Automated Vehicles |journal=Periodica Polytechnica Transportation Engineering |date=2017 |volume=45 |issue=3 |pages=168-174 |doi=10.3311/PPtr.10708 |url=https://pp.bme.hu/tr/article/view/10708|doi-access=free }} or automotive test tracks serve the automotive industry for road vehicle testing. In the automotive development process, vehicle manufacturers typically test the behaviour of vehicles in various environments and traffic situations. Conventional vehicle testing usually focuses on the dynamic properties of vehicles. Test tracks generally encompass the engineering tasks of vehicle testing and validation.

With the advent of self-driving cars, new proving grounds specially dedicated for them have appeared, and existing conventional proving grounds have been retooled for the testing of highly automated or fully autonomous vehicles.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}

= Automaker-owned =

= Independent =

Source: {{cite journal |last1=Szalay |first1=Zs. |last2=Nyerges |first2=Á. |last3=Hamar |first3=H. |last4=Hesz |first4=M. |title=Technical Specification Methodology for an Automotive Proving Ground Dedicated to Connected and Automated Vehicles |journal=Periodica Polytechnica Transportation Engineering |date=2017 |volume=45 |issue=3 |pages=168-174 |doi=10.3311/PPtr.10708 |url=https://pp.bme.hu/tr/article/view/10708|doi-access=free }}

  • AUREL CZ polygon, Czech Republic
  • Applus+ IDIADA proving ground, Spain
  • Arctic Falls Proving Grounds, several facilities and locations both outdoors and indoors in and around Älvsbyn, Sweden{{cite web|url=https://www.arcticfalls.se/|title=Arctic Falls|work=Arctic Falls|access-date=15 September 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.european-rubber-journal.com/article/2094061/arctic-falls-expanding-with-new-proving-ground-in-sweden|title=Arctic Falls expanding with new proving ground in Sweden|publisher=European Rubber Journal|url-access=registration|date=1 September 2023|access-date=15 September 2023}}
  • [http://www.4activeSystems.at 4activeSystems] Test Track, Traboch, Austria. An all-in-one test track next to 4activeSystems' headquarters, an testing equipment manufacturer for ADAS and autonomous driving.
  • AstaZero, claimed to have world's longest indoor track for testing "active" safety systems and autonomous technologies, Sandhult, Sweden{{cite web|url=https://www.astazero.com/|title=AstaZero|publisher=Research Institutes of Sweden|access-date=15 September 2023}}
  • Baudette Proving Ground by Bosch, USA{{cite web|url=https://www.bosch-mobility.com/en/solutions/development-services/proving-grounds/proving-ground-baudette/|title=Baudette Proving Ground|publisher=Bosch|access-date=15 September 2023}}
  • Boxberg Proving Ground by Bosch, Germany{{cite web|url=https://www.bosch-mobility.com/en/solutions/development-services/proving-grounds/proving-ground-boxberg/|title=Boxberg Proving Ground|publisher=Bosch|access-date=15 September 2023}}
  • Bridgestone proving grounds, various locations{{cite web|url=https://www.bridgestone.com/technology_innovation/proving_ground/|title=Bridgestone Proving Ground|work=Bridgestone|access-date=15 September 2023}}
  • Colmis Proving Ground on land and frozen lake, Arjeplog, Sweden{{cite web|url=https://www.colmis.com/|title=Welcome to Colmis Proving Ground|publisher=Colmis|access-date=15 September 2023}}
  • Hwaseong Songsan proving ground, South Korea
  • Automotive Testing Papenburg, Germany
  • Bruntingthorpe Airfield & Proving Ground, United Kingdom
  • [https://www.testregion-digitrans.at/ Digitrans] Automotive Proving Ground, St. Valentin, Austria
  • Donghai Proving Ground by Bosch, China{{cite web|url=https://www.bosch-mobility.com/en/solutions/development-services/proving-grounds/proving-ground-donghai/|title=Donghai Proving Ground|publisher=Bosch|access-date=15 September 2023}}
  • Flat Rock Proving Ground by Bosch, USA{{cite web|url=https://www.bosch-mobility.com/en/solutions/development-services/proving-grounds/proving-ground-flat-rock/|title=Flat Rock Proving Ground|publisher=Bosch|access-date=15 September 2023}}
  • HORIBA MIRA, United Kingdom
  • Lang Lang Proving Ground, Australia
  • GoMentum Station, United States
  • Icemakers, Arjeplog, Sweden{{cite web|url=https://www.icemakers.se/|title=Icemakers|work=Icemakers|access-date=15 September 2023}}
  • Juvincourt Proving Ground by Bosch, France{{cite web|url=https://www.bosch-mobility.com/en/solutions/development-services/proving-grounds/proving-ground-juvincourt/|title=Juvincourt Proving Ground|publisher=Bosch|access-date=15 September 2023}}
  • Maxxis Proving Ground Test Track, Kunshan, China{{cite web|url=https://www.maxxis.com/se/en/technology/proving-ground-test-track/|title=Proving ground test track|publisher=Maxxis|access-date=15 September 2023}}
  • Memanbetsu Proving Ground by Bosch, Japan{{cite web|url=https://www.bosch-mobility.com/en/solutions/development-services/proving-grounds/|title=The Bosch proving grounds|publisher=Bosch|access-date=15 September 2023}}
  • Michigan Technical Resource Park, USA
  • Millbrook Proving Ground, United Kingdom
  • Shiobara Proving Ground by Bosch, Japan
  • Sottozero Centre by Pirelli, Flurheden, Sweden{{cite press release|url=https://press.pirelli.com/pirellis-winter-proving-ground-becomes-operational-in-summer-as-well/|title=PIRELLI’S WINTER PROVING GROUND BECOMES OPERATIONAL IN SUMMER AS WELL|publisher=Pirelli|date=17 May 2022|access-date=15 September 2023}}
  • Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds, New Zealand
  • Tjintokk, Slagnäs, Sweden{{cite web|url=https://tjintokk.teamtailor.com/|title=Tjintokk|work=Tjintokk|access-date=15 September 2023|language=sv}}
  • Tolhuin Proving Ground by Bosch, Argentina
  • TRIWO Automotive Testing Center, near Frankfurt and Saarbrücken, Germany{{cite web|last1=KFZ-Testcenter|first1=Triwo|title=Teststrecken-Kalender|url=http://www.triwo-testcenter.de|publisher=triwo-testcenter.de|access-date=17 January 2018|language=de}}
  • [https://www.utac.com/ UTAC], headquartered in Linas-Montlhéry France where it operates Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry operational since 1924 the first of its eight proving grounds located in 10 countries.{{cite web|title=ABOUT UTAC|url=https://www.utac.com|access-date=3 January 2022|language=fr}}
  • Vaitoudden proving ground by Bosch, Sweden{{cite web|url=https://www.bosch-mobility.com/en/solutions/development-services/proving-grounds/proving-ground-vaitoudden/|title=Winter test center Vaitoudden|publisher=Bosch|access-date=15 September 2023}}
  • Yakeshi Proving Ground by Bosch, China{{cite web|url=https://www.bosch-mobility.com/en/solutions/development-services/proving-grounds/proving-ground-yakeshi/|title=Winter test center Yakeshi|publisher=Bosch|access-date=15 September 2023}}
  • ZalaZone Automotive Proving Ground, Hungary

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Military installations