AIR FORCE TEST CENTER ECONOMIC IMPACT

AFTC MISSION: The Air Force Test Center conducts developmental and follow-on testing and evaluation of manned and unmanned aircraft, avionics, weapons, cyber systems, space capabilities and emerging areas such as directed energy and autonomy. It has flight-tested every aircraft in the Army Air Force's and the Air Force's inventory since World War II. AFTC also operates the Air Force Test Pilot School where the Air Force's top pilots, navigators, and engineers learn how to conduct flight tests and generate the data needed to carry out test missions.

3 MAJOR INSTALLATIONS

  • Eglin AFB, FL –Test and evaluation center for Air Force air-delivered weapons, navigation and guidance systems, command and control systems, and Air Force Special Operations Command systems.
  • Edwards AFB, CA –Plans, conducts, analyzes and reports on all flight and ground testing of aircraft, weapons systems, software, and components as well as modeling and simulation for the Air Force.
  • Arnold Engineering Development Complex, TN –Operates more than 68 aerodynamic and propulsion wind tunnels, rocket and turbine engine test cells, environmental chambers, arc heaters, ballistic ranges, sled tracks, centrifuges and other specialized units.
  • 35 locations across the United States
  • $3.1B annual Operations and Maintenance budget, $1B  annual Research, Development, Test and Evaluation budget
  • $31B in DOD facilities and test ranges
  • 99-plus aircraft (17 different variants)
  • 200-plus ground test facilities
  • 12 test cells unique to the world
  • 19,060 civilian, military and contractors

CURRENT FOCUS AREAS

  • B-21 & Bomber Modernization
  • Hypersonics
  • Air Battle Management Systems
  • KC-46
  • F-35 & F-22 – follow-on modernization developmental testing
  • Joint Simulation Environment development and new facilities
  • Digital Engineering
  • Manned/Unmanned Teaming and Implementation of Autonomy
  • Test Flag Events (Orange Flag & Emerald Flag) – Focused on Interoprability
  • Aircraft test and support fleet – right-sizing, capacity versus requirements
  • MRTFB – capabilies and capacity to meet test needs

CURRENT CHALLENGES

  • Continued funding for critical sustainment, restoration, and modernization of test facilities/capabilities
  • Continued development and growth of hypersonics infrastructure, test capabilities and workforce
  • Continued support for maintaining the moratorium on oil and gas leasing activities in the Gulf of Mexico
  • Increased recruitment and retention of highly skilled technical workforce

96TH TEST WING, EGLIN AFB, FLA.

96th Test Wing Mission: The 96th Test Wing, located at Eglin AFB, is the test and evaluation center for Air Force air-delivered weapons, navigation and guidance systems, command and control systems, and Air Force Special Operations Command systems. The wing provides expert evaluation and validation of the performance of systems throughout the design, development, acquisition, and sustainment process to ensure the warfighter has technologically superior, reliable, maintainable, sustainable, and safe systems. The 96th Test Wing is the principal Air Force organization for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) developmental testing. The 96th TW performs developmental test and evaluation across the complete system life cycle for a wide variety of customers including Air Force Systems Program Offices, the Air Force Research Laboratory, logistics, and product centers; major commands; other DoD services and U.S. government agencies (Department of Transportation, NASA, etc.); foreign military sales; and private industry.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

  • $2.93B economic impact
  • 724 Square Miles: 70 test sites / 3,032 facilities
  • 123,000 Sq Miles over water range 
  • 9 Wings/40 Tenant Units

People

  • 20,000+ personnel
  • Services for >118K

Resources

  • Privatized Housing; 747 units
  • 100+ aircraft at ETTC

CURRENT FOCUS AREAS

  • On-base housing
  • Childcare Development Center

CURRENT CHALLENGES

  • Gulf Range Enhancement Plan
  • EGTTR Maximization Plan
  • Eglin NexGen Strategic Plan

412TH TEST WING, EDWARDS AFB, CALIF.

412th Test Wing Mission: The 412th Test Wing, located at Edwards AFB, plans, conducts, analyzes and reports on all flight and ground testing of aircraft, weapons systems, software, and components as well as modeling and simulation for the Air Force. There are three core components for this mission: flying operations, maintenance, and engineering. Through a maintenance group of more than 2,000 people and an operations group of 3,000, the test wing maintains and flies an average of 90 aircraft with upwards of 30 different aircraft designs and performs more than 7,400 missions (more than 1,900 test missions) on an annual basis.

The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School (USAF TPS), located at Edwards AFB, is where the Air Force's top pilots, navigators and engineers learn how to conduct flight tests and generate the data needed to carry out test missions. Human lives and millions of dollars depend upon how carefully a test mission is planned and flown. The comprehensive curriculum of TPS is fundamental to the success of flight test and evaluation. Upon graduating from TPS, graduates have earned a Master of Science degree in Flight Test Engineering.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

  • 2.7 Billion Yearly Economic Impact 
    • Payroll: $755,562,813
    • Contracts: $1,343,917,424
  • Assigned Personnel: 9,717
    • 1,957 Active Duty Military
    • 7,760 Civilian
    • Indirect Jobs Created: 11,345
  • Test Wing flies or maintains an annual of average of 90 unique aircraft
  • 7,400 average missions conducted annually
    • 1,900 unique test missions conducted annually

CURRENT FOCUS AREAS

  • Fostering a culture of innovation and engagement

CURRENT CHALLENGES

  • Ongoing housing crisis impacting airmen’s ability to find adequate housing both on, and off base

AEDC, ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, TENN.

Arnold Engineering Development Complex Mission: The Arnold Engineering Development Complex, located at Arnold AFB, Tenn., proves the superiority of systems required to meet the demands of the National Defense Strategy.

To accomplish this mission, Team AEDC operates more than 68 aerodynamic and propulsion wind tunnels, rocket and turbine engine test cells, environmental chambers, arc heaters, ballistic ranges, sled tracks, centrifuges and other specialized units. AEDC operating locations include Ames Research Center, Mountain View and Edwards AFB, California; Peterson AFB, Colorado; Eglin AFB; the Federal Research Center at White Oak, Maryland; Holloman AFB, Kirtland AFB, and White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico; Wright-Patterson AFB, and Hill AFB. AEDC offers a suite of test capabilities to simulate speed, temperature, pressure and other parameters over a wide range to meet the needs of aerospace system developers. The facilities can simulate flight conditions from sea level to 300 miles and from subsonic velocities to Mach 20.
 

ECONOMIC IMPACT

  • $624.1 M annual budget
  • ~$12 B in DOD facilities and test ranges
  • 6  aircraft (13 different variants)
  • 68+ ground test facilities
  • 3,457 civilian, military and contractors

​CURRENT FOCUS AREAS

  • Hypersonic DT&E
  • ICBM modernization/GBSD development
  • F-35 – follow-on modernization developmental testing

CURRENT CHALLENGES

  • Continued funding for critical sustainment, restoration, and modernization of test capabilities
  • Continued development and growth of hypersonic test infrastructure, test capabilities and workforce