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407:(ASD) in 1961. That year, the Air Force merged the Air Research and Development Command with the procurement functions of Air Material Command to form the Air Force Systems Command. In 1963, the Materials, Avionics, Aero Propulsion, and Flight Dynamics Laboratories were established and placed under one organization, the Research and Technology Division. Research during this time included examining different materials for aircraft structure,
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234:. From Wright Field the division continued to work on aviation advancements including engine design, navigation and communications equipment, cockpit instrumentation, electrically heated flight clothing, and in-flight refueling equipment. The Physiological Research Laboratory led pioneering research in pilot exposure to extremes of speed, pressure, and temperature. Specific advancements of the division in the 1930s include the
822:
95:, other U.S. military, allied and coalition-partner warfighters. ASC formed in 1961, and over its lifetime it managed 420 Air Force, joint and international aircraft acquisition programs and related projects; executed an annual budget that reached $ 19 billion and employed a workforce of more than 11,000 people located at Wright-Patterson Air Force base and 38 other locations worldwide.
373:. Some flight testing continued at Wright-Patterson but was confined to component and instrument testing and other specialized kinds of flight test. The most important addition to postwar flight testing at Wright Field was all-weather testing. It represented the first major attempt to solve the many problems encountered in flying under all weather conditions, both day and night.
421:, ASD set up a special division called Limited War/Special Air Warfare to respond to the special requirements dictated by the conflict. Part of this concept was "Project 1559" which provided a means for rapidly evaluating new hardware ideas to determine their usefulness for conducting limited war. Support systems included a highly mobile
544:(AFMC). ASD was then relabeled the Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC) in 1992 and a massive reorganization ensued, however, ASC retained its leading role in the acquisition of new systems and the upgrade and modification of existing systems to support the Air Force's Core Competencies into the 21st century.
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which had been introduced in the 1970s. Work also began on a system of very high speed integrated circuits that would allow advanced avionics architectures to integrate many aircraft subsystems such as weapons delivery, flight controls, and communications into smaller, more reliable subsystems. The
217:
In 1925 the division's roll shifted from design and building of to acquiring and evaluating aircraft prototypes submitted by the commercial aircraft industry. This left division engineers were left free to concentrate on developing standards unique to military aircraft, reviewing designs, modifying
213:
and the development of protective clothing, closed cockpits, heated and pressurized cabins, and oxygen systems. As the stockpile of aircraft and parts grew the division was able to spend more time finding ways to enhance tools and procedures for pilots. Advancements include things like an electric
333:
The new independent Air Force created the Air
Research and Development Command and placed the principal elements of engineering, the laboratories, and flight testing under Air Development Force, soon renamed Wright Air Development Center' (WADC). It had divisions including Weapons Systems, Weapons
98:
ASC's portfolio included capabilities in fighter/attack, long-range strike, reconnaissance, mobility, agile combat support, special operations forces, training, unmanned aircraft systems, human systems integration and installation support. ASC was deactivated during a 20 July 2012 ceremony held at
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became concerned with the rising costs of military procurement and consequently abandoned the concept of buying a weapon system as a complete, finished package, and reorganized the acquisition cycle into five phases: conceptual, validation, development, production, and deployment. The Air Force
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expanded. By 1943, well over 800 major, and thousands of minor research and development projects were in progress at Wright Field. Because many materials were scarce or unavailable during the war, scientists in the
Materials Laboratory were involved in developing and testing a number of
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Components, Research, Aeronautics, All-Weather Flying, Flight Test, and
Materiel, and 12 laboratories. Engineers at Wright Field evaluated captured foreign aircraft during and after World War II. Aircraft brought to Wright Field included allied aircraft such as the Russian
317:
substitutes, including synthetic rubber for tires, nylon for parachutes, and plastic for canopies. The
Armament Laboratory developed armored, self-sealing fuel tanks, increased bomb load capacity, gun turrets, and defensive armament. Despite the immediate needs of
454:
Avionics and Flight
Dynamics Laboratories coordinated research on an "all-glass" cockpit of the future that would allow a pilot, through voice activation, to mix or "enhance" data presented in picture-like symbols on one large TV-like screen.
433:
ASD an evaluation of chemical rain repellents for fighter aircraft and discovered that varieties of repellant applied to cockpit windshields on the ground prior to the flight had a long life and could last several hours, even days.
214:
ignition system, anti-knock fuels, navigational aids, improved weather forecasting techniques, stronger propellers, advancements in aerial photography, and the design of landing and wing lights for night flying.
221:
The
Engineering Division merged with the Supply Division in 1926 to form the Material Division. The new unit required more space than McCook Field offered, so in an effort to keep the Air Service presence at
206:. Another aircraft tested was the MB-1, eventually used as the standard mail plane. The division also expanded operations to Wilbur Wright Field. The division also pioneered aviation safety with the use of
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445:
The 1980s brought additional funding restraints led to additional reorganization for the ASD. In addition to equipment engineering the ASD worked on process improvement as well by introducing
442:
viewed this as a more flexible approach; providing oversight, review, and evaluation during each phase. Under this new process the ASD continued enhancing airframes, and developing armaments.
559:
to conventional weapons. Subsequently, both airframes have seen active combat roles. ASC has also placed a premium on
Information Superiority and focused heavily on building sensors for the
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Out of need for a secret location to test experimental aircraft, the flight testing of airframes moved to Rogers Dry Lake, Muroc, California, later named the Air Force Flight Test Center,
230:
a local interest group led by John H. Patterson and his son
Frederick bought 4,520 acres (18.3 km) of land, including Wilbur Wright Field and donated it to the Air Service, creating
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the command continued to work on future projects. In 1944, Major Ezra
Kotcher undertook pioneering work that led to the first supersonic airplane, the
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training. The XQ-6 and XQ-9 target drones were conceived by the Wright
Aeronautical Development Center but never reached the hardware phase.
190:. Early on the department's focus was flight testing and training. The department was renamed the Airplane Engineering Division following
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388:, in an effort to advance aviation technology and the flight envelope, including the first flight of a vertical takeoff and landing (
194:, it continued its mission of flight testing and training, but also began development and engineering. One early native model, the
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Air Force Materiel Command, 1 July 1992 – 1 October 2012 (attached to Air Force Life Cycle Management Center after 20 July 2012)
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air control system, disposable parachutes, intrusion alarms for air base defense, and a grenade launcher for the
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and testing procured machines, and developing ancillary equipment to enhance military aircraft.
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WADC was inactivated and replaced by the Wright Air Development Division in 1959 then by the
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The Aeronautical Systems Center was inactivated on 20 July 2012; its units were merged into
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The Material Division was re-designated the Material Command in 1942 as the role of the
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The Airplane Engineering Department, precursor of ASC, was first established under the
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environment the Air Force again realigned its commands, merging the
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Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, 1 April 1961 – 1 October 2012
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In light of the new security climate ASC moved to upgrade the
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WADC developed two "workhorse" aircraft during the 1950s; the
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Logistics units and formations of the United States Air Force
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384:. WADC also developed experimental systems, known as the
238:, internal bomb bay, and power-operated gun turret.
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429:rifle. In response to the unique climate found in
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1146:National Museum of the United States Air Force
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616:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
496:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
280:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
146:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
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346:, and enemy aircraft including the German
636:Learn how and when to remove this message
516:Learn how and when to remove this message
300:Learn how and when to remove this message
166:Learn how and when to remove this message
1201:1961 establishments in the United States
765:"Wright-Patterson Air Force Base - ASC"
678:Air Force Systems Command, 1 April 1961
449:(TQM). ASD also helped operationalize
99:Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
1186:Centers of the United States Air Force
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1122:Arnold Engineering Development Complex
997:Air Force Life Cycle Management Center
572:Air Force Life Cycle Management Center
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842:Aeronautical Systems Center Home Page
57:Equipment procurement and sustainment
831:Air Force Historical Research Agency
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614:adding citations to reliable sources
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494:adding citations to reliable sources
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278:adding citations to reliable sources
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198:was designed by resident engineers,
144:adding citations to reliable sources
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1094:Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex
1089:Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex
184:Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps
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1079:635th Supply Chain Operations Wing
1074:448th Supply Chain Management Wing
67:Aeronautical Systems Center emblem
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1020:Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center
987:Air Force Security Forces Center
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825: This article incorporates
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1196:Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
982:Air Force Civil Engineer Center
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737:516th Aeronautical Systems Wing
732:478th Aeronautical Systems Wing
727:326th Aeronautical Systems Wing
722:312th Aeronautical Systems Wing
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712:303d Aeronautical Systems Wing
702:77th Aeronautical Systems Wing
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1035:Air Force Research Laboratory
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668:Inactivated on 1 October 2012
651:Aeronautical Systems Division
414:, and improved power plants.
405:Aeronautical Systems Division
1052:Air Force Sustainment Center
1043:711th Human Performance Wing
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1084:Ogden Air Logistics Complex
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663:Aeronautical Systems Center
534:Air Force Logistics Command
437:During the early 1970s the
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85:Aeronautical Systems Center
21:Aeronautical Systems Center
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898:Air Force Materiel Command
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717:311th Human Systems Wing
565:unmanned aerial vehicles
447:Total Quality Management
382:Lockheed C-130 Hercules
48:United States Air Force
827:public domain material
371:Edwards Air Force Base
1104:Air Force Test Center
439:Department of Defense
344:de Havilland Mosquito
852:Jet Engine Inventors
610:improve this section
490:improve this section
360:Messerschmitt Me 262
352:Messerschmitt Bf 109
340:Supermarine Spitfire
274:improve this section
140:improve this section
1005:66th Air Base Group
649:Constituted as the
362:, and the Japanese
1181:Alfred V. Verville
1069:78th Air Base Wing
1064:75th Air Base Wing
1059:72nd Air Base Wing
1010:88th Air Base Wing
857:A Genesis Workshop
771:on 6 November 2007
707:88th Air Base Wing
451:stealth technology
204:Virginius E. Clark
200:Alfred V. Verville
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409:phased-array
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319:World War II
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242:World War II
232:Wright Field
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188:McCook Field
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138:Please help
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673:Assignments
419:Vietnam War
417:During the
192:World War I
1165:Categories
775:4 December
746:References
553:B-2 Spirit
549:B-1 Lancer
211:parachutes
905:Air bases
597:does not
477:does not
261:does not
208:free-fall
180:U.S. Army
127:does not
29:1961–2012
686:Stations
626:May 2014
536:and the
530:Cold War
506:May 2014
423:tactical
364:A6M Zero
329:Cold War
323:Bell X-1
290:May 2014
156:May 2014
62:Insignia
966:Centers
927:Hanscom
917:Edwards
618:removed
603:sources
578:Lineage
557:nuclear
498:removed
483:sources
282:removed
267:sources
148:removed
133:sources
103:History
34:Country
942:Tinker
937:Robins
912:Arnold
398:Zero-G
224:Dayton
44:Branch
26:Active
1135:Other
922:Eglin
805:"Q-9"
791:"Q-6"
751:Notes
427:AR-15
412:radar
196:VCP-1
932:Hill
777:2007
601:any
599:cite
563:and
551:and
481:any
479:cite
396:and
394:X-20
390:VTOL
380:and
342:and
265:any
263:cite
228:Ohio
202:and
131:any
129:cite
83:The
54:Role
612:by
561:U-2
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276:by
182:'s
142:by
89:ASC
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