An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Jan. 11, 2008

Desert MOUT facility is model for National Guard

By Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill National Guard Bureau

BALADIA CITY, Israel - National Guard Soldiers and Airmen could one day exercise at a state-of-the-art urban warfare training center here.

From a distance, the National Urban Training Center (NUTC) looks like a bustling desert town. But it's a purpose-built mock-up on a real-life scale designed as a training ground for military operations on urban terrain (MOUT).

"This is a world-class site that the Israelis have built," LTG H Steven Blum, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, said during a December visit. "We probably should have a facility like that of our own; in the interim, we should explore the opportunities to train here."

Blum and other National Guard leaders toured the NUTC with Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) officers during a four-day visit to Israel to bolster the Bureau's relationship with the IDF Home Front Command and discuss joint exercises and other possible exchanges under the aegis of the U.S. European Command.

The 7.4-square-mile NUTC is at the IDF's National Center for Ground Force Training in the Negev Desert, west of the Gaza Strip and north of Egypt. The 4,700-square-mile Negev covers more than half of Israel and includes thousands of miles of open space ideal for the country's premier military training facility.

Some 472 structures line four miles of roads in this concrete town dubbed Baladia City.

"It is the most realistic, extensive replication of the sort of urban area typical of this region of the world that I've ever seen," Blum said.

The NUTC includes high-rise buildings typical of business or high-density residential districts, streets lined with single-story buildings, a complex tunnel system and labyrinthine areas typical of some older Middle Eastern city centers. A stripped vehicle blocking a road adds to the realism.

"It is just such a superb training facility for all the nuances and the situational awareness and the battlefield conditions that Soldiers face in this part of the world," Blum said.

Soldiers have lost their way training here. They are found thanks to force-identification and location systems built in to the training area.

Every movement is recorded, every building bristles with sensors and every troop is wired for after-action review.

"I'd like to see Soldiers go through a facility like this somewhere before they deploy to counterinsurgency missions abroad," Blum said. "You get the advantage of the identical climate, the same geography, topography. You have the benefit of being in the environment, yet you're totally secure and you're able to train."

When the topography doesn't exactly match training requirements, the Israelis bring in bulldozers that move the desert sand until it more closely resembles what trainers need.

"It's a first-rate place," Blum said. "It couldn't be more realistic unless you let people actually live there."

Note: Master Sgt. Bob Haskell, the Marine Corps Times and other sources contributed to this report.

 

 

Related Articles
Civic leaders and newly commissioned U.S. Air Force pilot trainees gather with the 168th Wing KC-135 Stratotanker aircrew following an aerial refueling mission during Red Flag-Alaska 25-2, June 24, 2025. The event provided participants with a unique opportunity to witness the complex coordination and precision required for refueling U.S. and allied aircraft in flight. This experience highlighted the critical role the 168th Wing plays in sustaining readiness and strengthening defense capabilities throughout the Indo-Pacific region.
Civic Leaders Fly With Alaska Air Guard During Red Flag Alaska 25-2
By Senior Master Sgt. Julie Avey, | July 3, 2025
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska – The Alaska Air National Guard’s 168th Wing hosted a civic leader flight June 24 that offered local leaders an opportunity to view an aerial refueling mission over the Joint Pacific Alaska...

The U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa Command Surgeon and staff, along with the Ohio National Guard, visit medical students and doctors at the American Corner prior to attending the Platinum Wolf 25 Distinguished Visitor day in Bujanovac, Serbia, June 26, 2025. PW25 is an exercise focused on regional stability, partnership, and interoperability between the U.S., regional forces, and the Serbian Armed Forces, marking the first time Stamp and his staff attended in support of the medical teams that participated in the exercise.
Ohio Guard Attends Exercise Platinum Wolf in Serbia
By 1st Lt. Kaseyann Cornwall, | July 3, 2025
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – Several high-ranking officials from U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa, or USAFE-AFAFRICA, and the Ohio National Guard participated in the June 26 Distinguished Visitor day at Exercise...

A UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter from Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 140th Aviation, 96th Troop Command, Washington Army National Guard conducts water bucket training with Central Pierce Fire and Rescue, June 30, 2025, near Puyallup, Wash.
Washington Army Guard Trains in Water Bucket Operations
By Joseph Siemandel, | July 2, 2025
PUYALLUP, Wash. - To prepare for wildfire season, aviation crews from the Washington Army National Guard have been working to become certified in water bucket operations, completing as many repetitions as possible while...