The Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) is a Major Command (
MAJCOM) of the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
(USAF). AFMC was created on July 1, 1992, through the amalgamation of the former
Air Force Logistics Command (AFLC) and the former
Air Force Systems Command
The Air Force Systems Command (AFSC) is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command. It was established in April 1951, being split off from Air Materiel Command. The mission of AFSC was Research and Development for new weapons systems.
AFS ...
(AFSC).
AFMC is headquartered at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place just east of Dayton, Ohio, in Greene County, Ohio, Greene and Montgomery County, Ohio, Montgomery counties. It includes both Wright and Patte ...
in
Dayton
Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...
,
Ohio
Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
. AFMC is one of nine Air Force
Major Commands and has a workforce of approximately 80,000 military and civilian personnel. It is the Air Force's largest command in terms of funding and second in terms of personnel. AFMC's operating budget represents 31 percent of the total Air Force budget and AFMC employs more than 40 percent of the Air Force's total civilian workforce.
The command conducts research, development, testing and evaluation, and provides the acquisition and life cycle management services and logistics support. The command develops, acquires and sustains the air power needed to defend the United States and its interests. This is accomplished through research, development, testing, evaluation, acquisition, maintenance and program management of existing and future USAF weapon systems and their components.
History
The
United States Armed Forces
The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...
procurement of military aircraft began when the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
's Aeronautical Division of the
Signal Corps (United States Army)
The United States Army Signal Corps (USASC) is a branch of the United States Army responsible for creating and managing communications and information systems for the command and control of combined arms forces. It was established in 1860 by ...
, acquired several examples of the
Wright Military Flyer of 1909.
USAAF
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
/
USAF
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
aircraft
Research and Development
Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in some countries as OKB, experiment and design, is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products. R&D constitutes the first stage ...
(R&D) was merged with aircraft procurement twice in the 20th century (e.g., 1944, 1992).
Air Materiel Command
Air Materiel Command (AMC) was a United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force command. Its headquarters was located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. In 1961, the command was redesignated the Air Force Logistics Command ...
was established on March 9, 1946, and in November 1946, AMC's History Office published ''Materiel Research and Development in the Army Air Arm, 1914-1945''. In 1947, AMC bases were transferred to the newly established
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
, with facilities such as the storage depot in
Maywood, California, being renamed
Cheli Air Force Station.
On April 1, 1961, as part of the
DoD reorganization under President John F. Kennedy and his Secretary of Defense, Robert S. McNamara, the
Air Force Logistics Command was established at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place just east of Dayton, Ohio, in Greene County, Ohio, Greene and Montgomery County, Ohio, Montgomery counties. It includes both Wright and Patte ...
, replacing the Air Materiel Command and assuming the latter's supply and maintenance roles. The material procurement role was transferred. On the same date,
Air Force Systems Command
The Air Force Systems Command (AFSC) is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command. It was established in April 1951, being split off from Air Materiel Command. The mission of AFSC was Research and Development for new weapons systems.
AFS ...
was also established at
Andrews Air Force Base
Andrews Air Force Base (Andrews AFB, AAFB) is the airfield portion of Joint Base Andrews, which is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force (USAF). In 2009, Andrews Air Force Base merged with Naval Air Facility Washington to form ...
, Maryland, assuming the R&D role of the former
Air Research and Development Command while also inheriting AMC's materiel procurement role.
Activation duties AFMC, 1992
Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) was activated on July 1, 1992, as part of a post-
Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
, USAF-wide reorganization that resulted in the merger of AFLC and AFSC into a single major command.
After AFMC was established, the command's infrastructure saw significant reductions through
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) actions. This included the BRAC-directed closure/privatization of the
San Antonio Air Logistics Center at
Kelly Air Force Base, Texas and the closure of Kelly Air Force Base as an independent installation, with incorporation of its runways and remaining military flight line areas as the
Kelly Field Annex to adjacent
Lackland Air Force Base
Lackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located in Bexar County, Texas, United States. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command (AETC) and an enclave of ...
.
The
Sacramento Air Logistics Center at
McClellan Air Force Base
McClellan Air Force Base (1935–2001) is a former United States Air Force base in California, located in the North Highlands, California, North Highlands area of Sacramento County, California, Sacramento County, northeast of Sacramento, Califo ...
was also closed/privatized and McClellan Air Force Base totally closed. McClellan became a totally civilian airport with the exception of
Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento and the
Air Force Recruiting Service's 364th Recruiting Squadron.
Reorganization
In 2012 there was a major reorganization (5 Center Construct) and several new centers were organized. Among them, the Air Force Sustainment Center at
Tinker Air Force Base
Tinker Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force base, with tenant U.S. Navy and other Department of Defense missions, located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, adjacent to Del City and Midwest City.
The ba ...
now directs the
Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex at
Tinker Air Force Base
Tinker Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force base, with tenant U.S. Navy and other Department of Defense missions, located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, adjacent to Del City and Midwest City.
The ba ...
, the
Ogden Air Logistics Complex at
Hill Air Force Base
Hill Air Force Base is a major U.S. Air Force (USAF) base located in Davis County, Utah, just south of the city of Ogden, and bordering the Cities of Layton, Clearfield, Riverdale, Roy, and Sunset with its largest border immediately adja ...
, and the
Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex at
Robins Air Force Base
Robins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force installation located in Houston County, Georgia, Houston County, Georgia, United States. The base is located just east of the city of Warner Robins, Georgia, Warner Robins, south-southea ...
. The center provides depot maintenance, supply chain management and installation support. In 2015, the command officially activated its sixth center, the
Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, which provides centralized management of installation and mission support. The center is located at
Joint Base San Antonio, Texas.
Mission
Air Force Materiel Command conducts research, development, test and evaluation, and provides acquisition management services and logistics support.
AFMC headquarters is the major unit located at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place just east of Dayton, Ohio, in Greene County, Ohio, Greene and Montgomery County, Ohio, Montgomery counties. It includes both Wright and Patte ...
,
Ohio
Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
. There are also nine additional AFMC host bases.
In addition, the command operates associate units and tenant activities on several non-AFMC bases, including the
Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center at
Kirtland Air Force Base,
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
.
Component units
Headquarters
* Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command (
Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio)
Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center
The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center (AFIMSC) serves as the single intermediate-level headquarters responsible for providing installation and mission support capabilities. Its headquarters are located at
Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas and it has the following subordinate units.
*
Air Force Civil Engineer Center (Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas)
*
Air Force Installation Contracting Center (Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio)
*
Air Force Security Forces Center (Joint Base Antonio-Lackland, Texas)
*
Air Force Services Center (Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas)
Air Force Life Cycle Management Center
The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's (AFLCMC) mission is to deliver affordable and sustainable combat capabilities to US and international partners. It is the single center responsible for total life cycle management of all aircraft, engines, munitions, and electronic systems. Its headquarters are located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio and it has the following subordinate units.
*
66th Air Base Group (
Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts)
*
88th Air Base Wing (Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio)
* Acquisition Excellence Directorate (Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio)
* Agile Combat Support Directorate (Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio)
* Air Force Security Assistance & Cooperation Directorate (Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio)
* Armament Directorate (
Eglin AFB, Florida)
* Bombers Directorate (Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio)
* Business & Enterprise Systems Directorate (
Gunter Annex,
Maxwell AFB
Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation under the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. ...
, Alabama)
*
Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence (C3I) and Networks Directorate
* Digital Directorate (Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts)
* Fighters & Advanced Aircraft Directorate (Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio)
*
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance
ISTAR stands for Military intelligence, intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance. In its macroscopic sense, #ISTAR, ISTAR is a practice that links several battlefield functions together to assist a combat force in employ ...
(ISR) and
Special Operations Force
Special forces or special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
(SOF) Directorate (Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio)
* Mobility & Training Aircraft Directorate (Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio)
* Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate (Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio)
* Program Execution Directorate (Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio)
* Propulsion Directorate (
Tinker AFB
Tinker Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force base, with tenant United States Navy, U.S. Navy and other United States Department of Defense, Department of Defense missions, located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in Oklahoma County, Okl ...
, Oklahoma)
* Rapid Sustainment Directorate (Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio)
Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center
The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (AFNWC) is the Air Force's nuclear-focused center, synchronizing all aspects of nuclear materiel management in support of
Air Force Global Strike Command
The Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. AFGSC provides combat-ready fo ...
. Its headquarters are located at
Kirtland AFB, New Mexico and it has the following subordinate units.
* Air-Delivered Capabilities Directorate (Kirtland AFB)
* Ground Based Strategic Deterrent Systems Directorate (
Hill AFB, Utah)
* Minuteman III Systems Directorate (Hill AFB, Utah)
* Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) Integration Directorate (Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts)
* Nuclear Technology and Integration Directorate (Kirtland AFB)
Air Force Research Laboratory
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is the Air Force's only organization dedicated to leading the discovery, development and integration of technologies in air, space and cyber for the US Air and Space Forces. Its headquarters are located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio and it has the following subordinate units.
*
711th Human Performance Wing (Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio)
* Aerospace Systems Directorate (Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio)
* Air Force Office of Scientific Research (
Arlington, Virginia)
*Air Force Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation Office (Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio)
*Directed Energy Directorate (Kirtland AFB, New Mexico)
* Information Directorate (
Rome Research Site, New York)
* Materials and Manufacturing Directorate (Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio)
* Munitions Directorate (Eglin AFB, Florida)
* Sensors Directorate (Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio)
* Space Vehicles (Kirtland AFB, New Mexico)
Air Force Sustainment Center
The mission of the Air Force Sustainment Center (AFSC) is to provide sustainment and logistics readiness. The center provides integrated logistics and sustainment to the Air Force through depot maintenance,
supply chain management
In commerce, supply chain management (SCM) deals with a system of procurement (purchasing raw materials/components), operations management, logistics and marketing channels, through which raw materials can be developed into finished produc ...
and installation support. Its headquarters are located at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma and it has the following subordinate units.
*
72nd Air Base Wing (Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma)
*
75th Air Base Wing (Hill Air Force Base, Utah)
*
78th Air Base Wing (
Robins Air Force Base
Robins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force installation located in Houston County, Georgia, Houston County, Georgia, United States. The base is located just east of the city of Warner Robins, Georgia, Warner Robins, south-southea ...
, Georgia)
*
448th Supply Chain Management Wing (Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma)
*
635th Supply Chain Operations Wing (Scott AFB, Illinois)
*
Ogden Air Logistics Complex (Hill Air Force Base, Utah)
*
Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex (Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma)
*
Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex (Robins Air Force Base, Georgia)
Air Force Test Center
The Air Force Test Center (AFTC) conducts developmental and follow-on testing and evaluation of crewed and uncrewed aircraft and related avionics, flight-control, munitions, and weapon systems. Its headquarters are located at Edwards AFB, California and it has the following subordinate units.
*
96th Test Wing (Eglin AFB, Florida)
*
412th Test Wing (Edwards AFB, California)
*
Arnold Engineering Development Complex
The Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC), Arnold Engineering Development Center before July 2012, is an Air Force Materiel Command facility under the control of the Air Force Test Center (AFTC). Named for General Henry "Hap" Arnold ...
(
Arnold AFB, Tennessee)
Other units
*
National Museum of the US Air Force (Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio)
Commanders
See also
U.S. Armed Forces systems commands
*
Army Materiel Command
*
Marine Corps Systems Command
*
United States Navy systems commands
**
Naval Sea Systems Command
The Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) is the largest of the United States Navy's United States Navy systems commands, five "systems commands," or materiel (not to be confused with "material") organizations. From a physical perspective, NAVSEA ha ...
**
Naval Air Systems Command
The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) provides materiel support for aeronaval aircraft and airborne weapon systems for the United States Navy. It is one of the Echelon II Navy systems commands (SYSCOM), and was established in 1966 as the succe ...
**
Naval Information Warfare Systems Command
**
Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command
**
Naval Supply Systems Command
*
Space Systems Command
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
1992 establishments in Ohio
Materiel Command
Materiel Command
Military units and formations in Ohio
Logistics units and formations of the United States Air Force