Test and Evaluation Support
Abstract
This project provides resources to operate the Air Force test activities which are included in the Department of Defense (DoD) Major Range and Test Facility Base (MRTFB). Test facilities/capabilities operated through this program include wind tunnels, rocket and jet engine test cells, hypersonic and subsonic testing, modeling and simulation, technology, limited space environmental simulation chambers, armament test ranges, hardware-in-the-loop test facilities, climatic test facilities, avionics test facilities, aircraft testbeds, dry lakebed landing sites, instrumented test ranges, and test aircraft maintenance, as well as USAF Test Pilot School. Test and Evaluation (T&E) Support funds institutional test infrastructure activities including: Command and supervisory staffs; supply stocks; maintenance, repair, and replacement of worn or obsolete test equipment and facilities; test infrastructure for data collection, transmission, reduction, and analysis; civilian salaries; temporary duty travel; range operations and material support contract costs for hardware and software engineering and maintenance; and minor improvement and modernization projects. It also funds institutional test aircraft depot level maintenance such as: Programmed Depot Maintenance (PDM), the calendar-based cyclic scheduling of aircraft into depots for update/inspection; modifications and any other depot level repairs required by the aircraft System Program Directors (SPD); engine overhauls; depot-provided area assistance; and assorted ground support equipment overhauls. Three major Air Force test centers are supported by this project: (1) Arnold Engineering and Development Center (AEDC), located at Arnold Air Force Base (AFB), TN, whose institutional test infrastructure supports operations of the largest complex of ground test facilities in the world (includes transonic, supersonic, and hypersonic wind tunnels; rocket motor and turbine engine test cells; space environmental test chambers, hyperballistic ranges; and other specialized facilities). Included are operations at the National Full-Scale Aerodynamic Complex (NFAC) located at NASA's Ames Research Center, California as well as operations at Tunnel 9 located at White Oak, Maryland. (2) Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC), located at Edwards AFB, CA, whose institutional test infrastructure supports weapons system development and operational test and evaluation for aircraft, aircraft subsystems and aircraft weapon systems, aerospace research vehicles, unmanned miniature vehicles, cruise missiles, parachute delivery/recovery systems, cargo handling systems, communications, information operations, and Electronic Warfare (EW) systems for DoD and allied forces. Included are operations at Air Force Electronic Warfare Evaluation Simulator (AFEWES) located at AF Plant 4 in Ft. Worth, TX. The AFFTC mission includes the USAF Test Pilot School. (3) Air Armament Center (AAC) 46th Test Wing (TW) located at Eglin AFB, FL, is a joint test and training complex of 724 square miles of land area, and approximately 123,000 square miles of water area. AAC 46TW provides the institutional test infrastructure required to conduct developmental and operational test and evaluation of non-nuclear air armaments (including aircraft guns, ammunition, and air-to-surface and air-to-air guided munitions); Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence/Surveillance/Reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems; target acquisition and weapon delivery systems; multi-service climatic simulation capability; and special operations aircraft systems. AAC 46TW provides a scientific test process that supports the development, production, sustainment, and enhancement of munitions systems that support tri-service digital weapons development. AAC 46TW technology is compatible with weapon systems requiring test such as the next generation Advanced Medium Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), next generation Small Diameter Bomb (SDB), Extended Range Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM-ER), Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS), ALR-69A Radar Warning Receiver, Full Scale Aerial Target, Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS), Miniature Air Launched Decoy (MALD) and Jammer (MALD-J), Combat Talon, etc. T&E support services contracts are awarded on the basis of full and open competition. Budget Activity Justification: This program element is in Budget Activity 6, RDT&E Management Support, because it funds institutional infrastructure resources (civilians, aircraft, facilities and ranges) to operate the Air Force test activities which are included in the Department of Defense (DoD) Major Range and Test Facility Base (MRTFB).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2011
- Source ID
- 6606TS_0605807F_6_3600_PB_2011
Related Documents
- Root: Test and Evaluation Support
- Child Accomplishment: MAJOR THRUST: Provide infrastructure to support testing of DoD, other Government Agencies, FMS and commercial weapon systems at Arnold Engineering and Development Center (AEDC).
- Child Accomplishment: MAJOR THRUST: Continue to provide institutional test infrastructure support at the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) and continue to operate the USAF Test Pilot School.
- Child Accomplishment: MAJOR THRUST: Continue institutional test infrastructure support at Air Armament Center (AAC) 46th Test Wing (TW), for non-nuclear air armaments.
- Child Accomplishment: T&E Civilian Pay. Increase in FY11 due to contractor to civilian conversions.