The Arnold Engineering Development Complex is one of the keystone organizations in the discipline of aerospace testing and evaluation. Operating over 68 specialized units that include aerodynamic and propulsion wind tunnels, rocket and turbine engine test cells, environmental chambers, and ballistic ranges, AEDC is a pivotal asset for the U.S. Air Force and the broader defense community.
The headquarters of AEDC are located in Arnold AFB, Tennessee; however, this has grown to include several other locations. These also include Ames Research Center and Edwards AFB, California; Peterson AFB, Colorado; Eglin AFB, Florida; and principal sites around the United States. Its extended network gives the power to simulate the in-flight conditions from sea level to 300 miles altitude at velocities ranging from subsonic to Mach 20, thus accounting for the needs of most systems developers of aerospace systems.
“Our mission is to test and evaluate systems to meet the demands of the National Defense Strategy,” states AEDC. This is run with a vision of being “second to none,” reflecting the complicated commitment to excellence.
As an Air Force Materiel Command facility, AEDC has taken a lead role in the development of practically every top-priority aerospace program in the nation. These have included the Atlas, Titan, Minuteman, and Peacekeeper ICBMs; the space shuttle and space station programs; and Projects Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. Arnolds Engineering Development Complex is also integral to the development of a long list of aircraft, from the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter to the F-22A Raptor and B-2 Spirit, among others.
AEDC’s contributions range to missile systems such as Polaris, Poseidon, Trident submarine-launched ballistic missiles, Tomahawk, and Air-Launched Cruise Missiles. The complex also supports space systems—the Atlas and Titan rockets—associated with satellite programs like the NAVSTAR GPS and GOES-M weather satellites.
Among the customers of the center are the Department of Defense, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, NASA, private industry, allied foreign governments, and educational institutions. It was named in honor of General of the Air Force Henry H. “Hap” Arnold. AEDC was conceptualized right after World War II, following General Arnold’s request to Dr. Theodore von Karman to chart a long-range research and development course for the future U.S. Air Force.
The objectives of AEDC are well-defined: to test and evaluate aircraft, missile, and space systems under the various mission-related flight conditions; to carry out research and technology programs related to new and improved test techniques; and to perform maintenance and modernization for existing test facilities. Such efforts guarantee that AEDC will not only stay but be at the forefront of aerospace testing as technology continues to advance relentlessly regarding the demands it places on aircraft, missiles, and space systems.
Said another way, AEDC is not a facility; it is a national asset that has made a pretty profound impact on the contours of U.S. aerospace capabilities. Always being driven by a mission and vision, its functioning underlines its critical role in ensuring the technological edge of the defense system of the nation.