Dundrennan Range
Encyclopedia
Dundrennan Range is a weapons testing range on the Solway Firth
, near Kirkcudbright
in Dumfries and Galloway
, in south west Scotland
. It is part of the Kirkcudbright Training Area, 4700 acres (19 km²) of farming land acquired by the British Army
in 1942 to train forces for the invasion of mainland Europe. The area includes a 15 x 19 miles (30.6 km) sea danger area. The range takes its name from the nearby village of Dundrennan
.
The range is the site of the Electro-Magnetic Launch Facility where, since 1993, the Ministry of Defence
and the United States Army
have been collaborating on a research project aimed at developing an electro-magnetic launcher, or railgun
. The project was expected to continue until at least 2009.
It has been claimed that environmental damage could be or has been done by the testing of shells containing depleted uranium
at this site.
Solway Firth
The Solway Firth is a firth that forms part of the border between England and Scotland, between Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway. It stretches from St Bees Head, just south of Whitehaven in Cumbria, to the Mull of Galloway, on the western end of Dumfries and Galloway. The Isle of Man is also very...
, near Kirkcudbright
Kirkcudbright
Kirkcudbright, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.The town lies south of Castle Douglas and Dalbeattie, in the part of Dumfries and Galloway known as the Stewartry, at the mouth of the River Dee, some six miles from the sea...
in Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973...
, in south west Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is part of the Kirkcudbright Training Area, 4700 acres (19 km²) of farming land acquired by the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in 1942 to train forces for the invasion of mainland Europe. The area includes a 15 x 19 miles (30.6 km) sea danger area. The range takes its name from the nearby village of Dundrennan
Dundrennan
Dundrennan is a village in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, about five miles east of Kirkcudbright. Its population is around 230. It is most notable for the ruins of Dundrennan Abbey, a 12th century Cistercian monastery...
.
The range is the site of the Electro-Magnetic Launch Facility where, since 1993, the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
and the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
have been collaborating on a research project aimed at developing an electro-magnetic launcher, or railgun
Railgun
A railgun is an entirely electrical gun that accelerates a conductive projectile along a pair of metal rails using the same principles as the homopolar motor. Railguns use two sliding or rolling contacts that permit a large electric current to pass through the projectile. This current interacts...
. The project was expected to continue until at least 2009.
It has been claimed that environmental damage could be or has been done by the testing of shells containing depleted uranium
Depleted uranium
Depleted uranium is uranium with a lower content of the fissile isotope U-235 than natural uranium . Uses of DU take advantage of its very high density of 19.1 g/cm3...
at this site.
External links
- Public Information Leaflet from the Army Training Estate
- MOD lied over Depleted Uranium from the Sunday HeraldSunday HeraldThe Sunday Herald is a Scottish Sunday newspaper launched on 7 February 1999. The ABC audited circulation in April 2011 showed sales of 31,123.From the start it has combined a centre-left stance with support for Scottish devolution...
, 29 February 2004 - Concern over 'supergun' tests at bbc.co.ukBbc.co.ukBBC Online is the brand name and home for the BBC's UK online service. It is a large network of websites including such high profile sites as BBC News and Sport, the on-demand video and radio services co-branded BBC iPlayer, the pre-school site Cbeebies, and learning services such as Bitesize...