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The Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC), located
at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., is a direct reporting unit under
Headquarters United States Air Force. It is the Air Force independent
test agency responsible for testing, under operationally realistic
conditions, new systems being developed for Air Force and multi-service
use.
Mission
AFOTEC is the Air Force agency responsible for planning, executing and
reporting independent operational tests and evaluations. The agency determines
the operational capabilities and limitations of Air Force and joint systems
to meet warfighter mission needs. It provides operational effectiveness,
suitability and evaluation expertise from concept development to system
employment in support of the Air Force, Department of Defense and other
governmental agencies.
 Personnel and Organization
AFOTEC employs approximately 730 military and civilian personnel at
its headquarters, five detachments at Edwards AFB, Calif., Eglin AFB,
Fla., Peterson AFB, Colo. and Kirtland AFB, N.M.; and more than 20 operating
locations around the world. The commander of AFOTEC reports directly
to the chief of staff of the Air Force.
Test teams conduct tests at selected sites; collect, analyze and evaluate
the data and prepare formal reports. The teams are managed by AFOTEC
and include personnel from the operating and supporting commands who
will eventually employ these systems.
Test Program
AFOTEC's independent and objective evaluations of how well systems will
meet operational requirements provide a vital link between the developer
and user. They are key elements of the system acquisition approval process.
Operational tests are designed to address critical issues regarding
a system's performance in combat-like environments when operated by field
personnel. They seek to answer questions about how safe, effective, reliable,
maintainable, compatible and logistically supportable new Air Force systems
will be.
The results of AFOTEC's tests, normally conducted on prototype and pre-production
models, play an important role in Air Force and DOD acquisition decisions.
Test results also identify deficiencies requiring corrective action.
History
The origin of AFOTEC can be traced to problems experienced by the U.S.
military during Vietnam where the hot and humid jungles of Southeast
Asia took their toll on American weaponry. All but one of the 22 weapon
systems examined suffered major deficiencies in the field. Some critics
attributed this to minimal evaluation since only three had undergone
operational test and evaluation before production.
By the early 1970's,
pressure on the armed services to prioritize their operational test
and evaluation functions proved overwhelming. The Air
Force, in response, activated the Air Force Test and Evaluation Center,
Jan. 1, 1974, at Kirtland AFB. The word "operational" was added
to the center's name in April 1983 to indicate more clearly its mission
and to avoid confusion with developmental test and evaluation.
Point of Contact
Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation
Center, Public Affairs Office; 8500 Gibson Blvd SE; Kirtland AFB,
N.M. 87117-5670; DSN 246-8513 or (505) 846-8513.
Above Information Courtesy
of United States Air Force
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