Military personnel must be ready to respond to any situation that may arise, ranging from large-scale conflict to maritime security operations to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Their success is contingent upon realistic training that prepares them to respond to an emergency situation or an act of aggression at a moment’s notice. Maintaining rigorous, comprehensive training regimens ensure ships and Sailors are ready to deploy on schedule and military personnel are prepared to carry out their duties as required.

Military research, development, testing, and evaluation activities are also critical for maintaining readiness. The Department of Defense continually researches and develops new technologies to ensure the U.S. military remains the most capable in the world. These technologies must be tested and evaluated before military personnel can rely on them in combat or an emergency.

To meet these military readiness requirements, the Department of the Navy, in cooperation with the Coast Guard, Army, and Air Force, is preparing an EIS to assess the potential environmental effects associated with the Proposed Action to conduct at-sea military readiness activities within the Hawaii-California Training and Testing Study Area. The Navy also proposes to modernize and sustain its ranges in a manner necessary to support these readiness activities.