The Air Force Test Center (AFTC) is a development and test organization of the United States Air Force. It conducts research, development, test, and evaluation of aerospace systems from concept to deployment. It has test flown every aircraft in the Army Air Force's and the Air Force's inventory since World War II. The center employs nearly 13,000 people, and controls the second largest base in the Air Force.
On 6 July 2012, the previous Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) was redesignated as the Air Force Test Center (AFTC). Up until July 2012, the AFTC consisted of two subordinate wings. The 95th Air Base Wing (95 ABW) provided installation support for all units on Edwards Air Force Base while the 412th Test Wing (412 TW) conducted aircraft testing and evaluation at Edwards. In July 2012, the redesignated 96th Test Wing (96 TW), an amalgamation of the former 96th Air Base Wing, the former 46th Test Wing and the former Air Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and the Arnold Engineering Development Complex at Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee, also came under control of the AFTC.
Overview
The Air Force Test Center (AFTC) conducts developmental and follow-on testing and evaluation of manned and unmanned aircraft and related avionics, flight-control, and weapon systems. AFTC also operates the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, which trains test pilots, flight-test engineers, and flight-test navigators.
The center has tested all the aircraft types in the Air Force inventory, and the center's workforce—civilian, military and contractor—work together to flight test and evaluate new aircraft and upgrades to aircraft already in inventory for Air Force units, the Department of Defense, NASA and other government agencies. Upgrades to be tested here include improvements to radar, weapons-delivery and navigation systems, and a system to give tactical pilots the ability to strike ground targets from low altitudes at night and in adverse weather.
The Air Force Test Center develops, operates and maintains the Edwards Flight Test Range and Utah Test and Training Range. It also operates the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School. The center provides test infrastructure, overhead support for development, and operational test and evaluation support for aerospace research vehicles. AFFTC resources include the test and evaluation mission simulator, the Benefield Anechoic Chamber, Ridley Mission Control, and the Integration Facility for Avionics Systems Testing.
Units
412th Test Wing (Tail Code: ED) The 412th Test Wing 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 U.S. Air Force. The Wing also oversees the base's day-to-day operations and provides support for military, federal civilian, and contract personnel assigned to Edwards AFB.
412th Operations Group. There are eight flight test squadrons under the 412th Operations Group with as many as 20 aircraft assigned to each. The 412 OG flies an average of 90 aircraft with upwards of 30 different aircraft designs. It also performs more than 7,400 missions (including more than 1,900 test missions) on an annual basis. The aircraft are grouped by mission
Global Power (fighters and bombers) 411th Flight Test Squadron: (F-22) 416th Flight Test Squadron: (F-16) 419th Flight Test Squadron: (B-52H, B-1, B-2) 445th Flight Test Squadron: (Initial Flight Test Operations, T-38) 461st Flight Test Squadron: (F-35 Joint Strike Fighter)
Global Reach (transport and air refueling) 412th Flight Test Squadron: (C-135C Speckled Trout) 418th Flight Test Squadron: (C-130 and special operations and special mission variants; CV-22; KC-135 and special variants; C-17A)
Global Vigilance (unmanned) 452d Flight Test Squadron: (RQ-4)
412th Test Management Division
412th Test Management Group
412th Electronic Warfare Group
412th Engineering Division
The Engineering Division and the Electronic Warfare Group provide the central components in conducting the Test and Evaluation mission of the 412 TW. They provide the tools, talent and equipment for the core disciplines of aircraft structures, propulsion, avionics and electronic warfare evaluation of the latest weapon system technologies. They also host the core facilities that enable flight test and ground test—the Range Division, Benefield Anechoic Facility, Integrated Flight Avionics Systems Test Facility and the Air Force Electronic Warfare Evaluation Simulator. The Project and Resource Management Divisions provide the foundation for the successful program management of test missions.