CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. (WISH) — 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...