Base Guide - Mission

412TH TEST WING

 

The 412th Test Wing plans, conducts and analyzes test missions and reports on flight and ground testing of aircraft, weapons systems, software, components, modeling and simulation for the U.S. Air Force. There are three core components for this mission — engineering, maintenance and flight operations.

 

The Engineering Division and the Electronic Warfare Division provide the central elements for conducting the test and evaluation mission. 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.

 

The Maintenance Group consists of 1,700 maintenance personnel supporting more than 80 highly modified, uniquely configured test and test support aircraft. Its fleet boasts an impressive 16 different mission design series aircraft operating 25 different propulsion systems, which makes it the most diverse maintenance unit in the Air Force.

 

The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, also part of the 412th Test Wing, 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. Test Pilot School graduates become the backbone of the Air Force test force at Edwards and at other test units across the country.

 

The test wing also oversees the installation’s day-to-day operations, providing support to more than 10,000 personnel assigned to the
412 Test Wing, Air Force Plant 42 Production Flight Test Installation, Air Force Research Laboratory Propulsion Directorate, NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center and 54 tenant units on a base of 482 square miles. The test wing is responsible for the Edwards’ entire infrastructure to include 29,000 feet of concrete runways, 59 miles of lakebed runways, 573 miles of road, 270 miles of electrical lines, 8,800 structures and 9.5 million square feet of facility space. The test wing provides all the support services to take care of the people who live or work on the installation, such as security, fire, medical, housing, transportation, communications, chapel and environmental services.

AIR FORCE TEST CENTER

The Air Force Test Center is headquartered at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Its mission is to conduct developmental test and evaluation of air, space and cyber systems, and provide timely, objective and accurate information to decision-makers.

 

The AFTC directs an enterprise responsible for the developmental test and evaluation of air, space and cyber systems for military services, other U.S. government agencies and international partners. Units assigned to the AFTC include the 96th Test Wing at Eglin AFB, Florida, the Arnold Engineering Development Complex at Arnold AFB, Tennessee, and the 412th Test Wing at Edwards AFB, California.