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 service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army S ...

(USAF). AFMC was created on July 1, 1992, through the amalgamation of the former

Air Force Logistics Command The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...

(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. Ove ...

(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 and Montgomery counties. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur W ...

in Dayton,

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

. AFMC is one of nine Air Force

Major Command Major Command or Major Commands are large formations of the United States Armed Forces. Historically, a Major Command is the highest level of command. Within the United States Army, the acronym MACOM is used for Major Command. Within the United St ...

s 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 forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...

procurement of military aircraft began when the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

'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 that creates and manages communications and information systems for the command and control of combined arms forces. It was established in 1860, the brainchild of ...

, 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 Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...

aircraft

Research and Development Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in Europe as research and technological development (RTD), is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products, and improving existi ...

(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 w ...

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

, 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

was established at

, replacing the Air Materiel Command and assuming the latter's supply and maintenance roles. The material procurement role was transferred. On the same date,

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. In 2009, Andrews Air Force Base merged with Naval Air Facility Washington to form Joint B ...

, Maryland, assuming the R&D role of the former

Air Research and Development 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. Ove ...

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, 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 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process by a United States federal government commission to increase United States Department of Defense efficiency by coordinating the realignment and closure of military installations following the en ...

(BRAC) actions. This included the BRAC-directed closure/privatization of the San Antonio Air Logistics Center at

Kelly Air Force Base Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting. In ...

, 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. The Sacramento Air Logistics Center at McClellan Air Force Base 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 Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento is an Air Station of the United States Coast Guard, located in Sacramento County, California. The station has 189 personnel assigned and operates 6 Alenia C-27J Spartan aircraft on medium-range patrol and sea ...

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 County, Oklahoma, surrounded by Del City, Oklahoma City, and Midwest City. The base, origin ...

now directs the

Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex The Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex (OC-ALC) Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma is one of the largest units in the Air Force Materiel Command. The complex performs programmed depot maintenance on the C/KC-135, B-1B, B-52 and E-3 aircraft; expande ...

, 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 northern Utah, just south of the city of Ogden, and bordering the Cities of Layton, Clearfield, Riverdale, Roy, and Sunset with its largest border immediately adjacent ...

, and the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex at Robins Air Force Base. 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 Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) is a United States military facility located in San Antonio, Texas, USA. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 502d Air Base Wing, Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The win ...

, 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

. 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 The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (AFNWC) is a USAF Named Unit, assigned to the Air Force Materiel Command at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The AFNWC operates at the Center level of the AFMC. It is currently under the command of Major ...

Kirtland Air Force Base Kirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the ea ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

Component units

Headquarters

* Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command (

Wright-Patterson AFB Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place just east of Dayton, Ohio, in Greene and Montgomery counties. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbu ...

, 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 Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) is a United States military facility located in San Antonio, Texas, USA. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 502d Air Base Wing, Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The ...

, Texas and it has the following subordinate units. * Air Force Civil Engineer Center (Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas) *Air Force Financial Management Center of Expertise ( Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado) *Air Force Financial Services Center ( Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota) * 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 Gunter Annex is a United States Air Force installation located in the North-northeast suburbs of Montgomery, Alabama. The base is named after former Montgomery mayor William Adams Gunter. Until 1992 it was known as Gunter Air Force Base or G ...

, Maxwell AFB, 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 (ISR) and

Special Operations Force Special forces and 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, 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. 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 The 711th Human Performance Wing (711 HPW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. Air Force officials redesignated the inactive Harry G. Armstrong Aerospace Medical Research Laborator ...

(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) is the management of the flow of goods and services including all processes that transform raw materials into final products between businesses and locations. This can include the movement and sto ...

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, Georgia) *

448th Supply Chain Management Wing The 448th Supply Chain Management Wing, a wing of the Air Force Sustainment Center of Air Force Materiel Command serves as the Air Force's supply chain manager headquartered at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The wing was first activated in th ...

(Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma) *

635th Supply Chain Operations Wing The 635th Supply Chain Operations Wing, United States Air Force, is a logistics wing. It reports to the Air Force Sustainment Center, part of Air Force Materiel Command, and serves as the Air Force's new supply chain manager headquartered at Scot ...

(Scott AFB, Illinois) * Ogden Air Logistics Complex (Hill Air Force Base, Utah) *

(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 manned and unmanned 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 The 96th Test Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Test Center of Air Force Materiel Command at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The wing was activated at Eglin in 1994 as the 96th Air Base Wing, the headquarters for ...

(Eglin AFB, Florida) *

412th Test Wing The 412th Test Wing (412 TW) is a wing of the United States Air Force, assigned to the Air Force Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Overview The 412th Test Wing plans, conducts, analyzes, and reports on all flight and ground tes ...

(Edwards AFB, California) * Arnold Engineering Development Complex ( Arnold AFB, Tennessee)