Learn About the BAF

772nd Test Squadron

772nd Test Squadron - Test Capabilities

The Electronic Warfare Group's (EWG) 772nd Test Squadron's at the Avionics Test and Integration Complex (ATIC) operates and maintains test facilities and capabilities for a wide spectrum of electronic warfare (EW) and information operations (IO) systems. The Benefield Anechoic Facility (BAF), a uniquely large anechoic chamber, provides a comprehensive, robust and scalable radio frequency (RF) test and evaluation (T&E) infrastructure and capability to ensure weapons system survivability and mission effectiveness for the DoD, industry (military and commercial) and our allies. The 772nd TS also provides laboratory facilities and modeling and simulation (M&S) capabilities that include man-in-the-loop simulators, hardware-in-the-loop labs and digital integrated air defense M&S (IADS). We provide invaluable resources and technical expertise as uniquely required for each customer and their specific program.

A PICTORIAL GLIMPSE OF THE BENEFIELD ANECHOIC FACILITY

BAF Overview

The Benefield Anechoic Facility is located at Edwards Air Force Base, California. It is the largest anechoic test facility in the world--providing a "virtual open-air range (OAR) within four walls and ceiling." It is capable of supporting and handling virtually all Department of Defense (DOD) aircraft, with very few exceptions, to test their radio frequency (RF) systems for wide-ranging EMS installed systems test.

The primary purpose the BAF serves is the test and integration of avionics systems in a secure, controlled, and repeatable electromagnetically controlled free-space environment, using state-of-the-art simulation and stimulation technology, that closely duplicates the real combat mission environment.

(Electronic Fact Sheet: with F-35)

(Electronic Fact Sheet: with C-17)

EW/IO Threat SImulation

The Benefield Anechoic Facility (BAF) has a highly sophisticated Combat Electromagnetic Environment Simulator (CEESIM). Virtually any RF threat system or friendly RF emitter can be generated for free-space radiation (or direct injection) - offering the most cost-effective means of testing and validating effectiveness of sophisticated Electronic Warfare (EW)/Information Operations (I/O) systems (RWR, ESM, ECM, ELINT, SIGINT, Radar and other RF systems) against today's threats and emerging threats not yet available at open-air ranges.

(Printable Fact Sheet)
(Electronic Fact Sheet)

Antenna Characterization

The Benefield Anechoic Facility (BAF) offers a variety of antenna pattern measurement capabilities in an extremely large indoor facility (264' x 250' x 70'). This highly flexible and secure indoor range provides extreme efficiency and accuracy with uninterrupted automated test execution. This provides high throughput data collection rates for installed (integrated on the vehicle) and uninstalled (standalone) system measurements. Our antenna measurement environment supports the automated collection of amplitude and phase data on sixteen (16) antennas simultaneously in the frequency range of 100 MHz to 40 GHz. Relative and absolute gain measurements are available with 3-antenna techniques or NIST traceable references.

(Printable Fact Sheet)
(Electronic Fact Sheet)

Radar Target & ECM Gen.

At the Benefield Anechoic Facility, a tester can evaluate their radar's performance in an installed configuration either individually or in conjunction with the operation of other aircraft systems in the presence of Electronic Warfare (EW) systems (RF threats) and Electronic Counter measurement (ECM) jamming (both on-board and off-board) for normal operational performance as well as systems' interoperability testing. In order to accomplish this the BAF operates programmable radar target generators (RTGs) and an ECM radiating system capable of generating synthesized radar targets (SUT radar signal returns) which can be detected and observed by a SUT's radar system as it would be in flight.

(Printable Fact Sheet)
(Electronic Fact Sheet)

Global Positioning

The Benefield Anechoic Facility is an excellent facility to conduct several types of GPS testing. The chamber shielding effectiveness (= 100dB) allows GPS tracking and jamming tests without frequency management or regulatory agency approval. GPS signals can be transmitted free-space to the SUT using one of three simulators: the GPS Simulation system, GPS Retransmission System or the Advanced Global Navigation Simulator (AGNS) GPS simulator.

(Printable Fact Sheet)
(Electronic Fact Sheet)

DIADS

The 772nd Test Squadron has developed and maintains the Digital Integrated Air Defense System (DIADS). It accurately simulates command and control (C2) system impacts on the battle space and generates the enemy's perception of the air picture. DIADS incorporates real world trackers used by modern enemy air defense systems currently deployed throughout the world. A mission-level Integrated Air Defense System can be accurately represented. This is done through software representations of sensor models into those trackers used by modern enemy air defense systems. It can simulate a country's or region's assets that are currently deployed or projected to be operational in the 21st Century.

The simulation can be operated stand-alone, faster than real-time for constructive use, or in various Operator-in-the-Loop/Hardware-in-the-Loop real-time modes. DIADS simulates several generations of surface-to-air missile systems, radars, tracking algorithms and command and control nodes, many of which represent real systems that are deployed or are expected to be deployed. This allows DIADS to provide critical insight into the survivability of DoD weapons systems operating in hostile airspace.

(Printable Fact Sheet)
(Electronic Fact Sheet)

Integrated Facility for Avionics Systems Test (IFAST) and T&E Modeling and Simulation (TEMS)

The three-story IFAST houses several RF shielded test bays with the required power and cooling to allow the Air Force Test Center to satisfy the rapidly growing surge of avionics test work, which allows pilots and engineers to evaluate an aircraft’s electronic avionics systems and rehearse the mission prior to flying it. The systems fly at the IFAST before they fly at the open-air ranges, reducing the number of costly re-fly hours and enhancing efficiency and productivity.

The IFAST also hosts the TEMS that is comprised of multiple Manned Flight Simulation laboratories in support of weapons systems DT&E and OT&E. These systems consist of either Operational Flight Program or effects-based simulations. Today, the IFAST plays a significant role in the integration, test and evaluation of avionics, electronic warfare, cyber, radar and manned simulators across a wide spectrum of today’s operational and developmental platforms for such platforms as the B-1B, F-16, F-22 and F-35 platforms with system integration labs (SILs), hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) labs and/or flight simulators.

(Printable fact sheet)


CNI

Benefield Anechoic Facility Communication, Navigation and Identification systems provide the test capability and visibility to understand a system's utility and performance in dense, system-of-systems (SoS), family-of-systems (FoS) operationally representative free-space RF environments with coherent, secure, known, and repeatable test conditions.

The CNI suite consists of the Joint Communications Simulator (JCS) for friendly and hostile RF signals, the Commander's Tactical Terminal (CTT) for friendly situational awareness information, a Link-16 Simulation and Stimulation Suite for high fidelity Link-16 network testing, and the Global Positioning System Simulator (GPSS). A Global System for Mobile (GSM) Cell network is also available. The Link-16 suite, the KU-Band SatCom Link and Digital Integrated Air Defense System (DIADS) systems enable, respectively, network-centric, external, and threat-based distributed test operations.

 

(Printable Fact Sheet)

 

Location & Contact

412th Test Wing Electronic Warfare Group (EWG)
Avionics Test and Integration Complex (ATIC)

Building 1020
20 Hoglan Avenue
Edwards AFB, CA 93524
661-277-1672 (DSN 527-1672)

>Directions

The Benefield Anechoic Facility (BAF)
Anechoic Chamber Facilities and DIADS

Building 1030
30 Hoglan Avenue
Edwards AFB, CA 93524
(661) 277-8607
412TW.EWG.BAF@us.af.mil

BAF Handbook

Benefield Anechoic Facility (BAF) Handbook

This handbook presents a comprehensive overview of the test capabilities and applications of the BAF for the test and evaluation of current and future RF systems.

(Printable Handbook)
(Electronic Handbook)