Serving the World's Premier Flight Simulation Test Complex

Vol.68, No.21 Arnold AFB, Tenn.

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Air Force Test Center Commander

learns more about the AEDC mission By Deidre Moon

AEDC Public Affairs

In October, Maj. Gen. Evan Dertien made his first visit to Arnold Air Force Base since taking on his latest role as the commander of the Air Force Test Center.

During his two-day stop, Dertien had the opportunity to see many of the test facili­ties on base and speak with experts in each of the mission areas. He said that the visit greatly expanded his knowl­edge and appreciation for the work that takes place at Ar­nold.

"As I do my immersions and understand the scope of the mission of AFTC, it is pretty clear how important Arnold is, not only lo us by developing our capabilities, but to our National Defense Strategy overall," he said. "As r looked at all of the pro-

grams that we're developing for the Air Force of the fu­ture, it's incredible to know that they're currently in test here right now or have pre­viously gone through testing here."

Dertien added that with his new understanding, one of his goals is to be an advocate for Arnold Engineering Develop­ment Complex.

"This visit has increased my commitment to ensuring that we're getting the re­sources and to help solve any of the challenges thal Arnold is having, because jt is so important for the foresee­able future to what the Air Force and our nation needs and does," he said. "Un­less you've had the chance to come here and meet the people and also see the infra­structure ... from the outside,

See Commander, page 3

Dr. Rich Roberts, second from right, chief of the Aerodynamics Branch Store Separation Sec­tion of Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC), briefs Maj. Gen. Evan Dertlen, com­mander, Air Force Test Center, on the 16-foot transonic wind tunnel during Dertien's visit to Arnold Air Force Base, headquarters of AEDC, Oct. 13. The transonic tunnel is part of the Aerodynamics Test Branch of AEDC, which provides aerodynamic effects and captive trajec­tory ground-test capabilities, (U.S. Air Force photo by Jill Pickett) (This image has been altered by obscuring a poster for security reasons.)

Modernization effort underway to keep Holloman

High Speed Test Track on the rails By Bradley Hicks

AEDC Public Affairs

HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE,

N.M. - To ensure the Holloman High Speed Test Track at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, continues its record­setting ways and serves as a hub for test­ing to enhance pilot safety and hyperson­ic systems development for decades to come, 846th Test Squadron personnel are exploring the modernization of the HH­STT rail system.

construction to a combination of new construction and repair to the possibility of only repairing the existing track infra­stmcture," said Capability Development Element Chief Lee Powell.

The caveat, Powell said, is that each COA should provide for the extension of the narrow-gauge system to span the en­tire IO miles of the facility. The narrow gauge, or NG, system consists of two par­allel rails spaced approximately 26 inches apart and currently only nms for 4 miles. The facility currently hosts a 10-mile­long dual rail, or wide-gauge system, that is mainly used for egress, dispense, and guidance testing.

Operated by the 846 TS, a unit of the 704th Test Group of the Arnold Engineer­ing Development Complex, or AEDC, headquartered at Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn., the HHSTT serves to bridge the gap between laboratory analysis and full­scale flight tests by providing a ground test capability to simulate selected por­tions of the flight environment under ac­curately programmed and instrumented conditions.

The facility is in continuous use by various offices of the Department of De­fense and Department of Energy and for commercial activities.

Holloman High Speed Test Track personnel conduct an ejection test at Hollo­man Air Force Base, N.M., Ejection testing is among the wide of array of testing at the HHSTT, which is operated by the 846th Test Squadron, a unit of the 704th Test Group of the Arnold Engineering Develqpment Complex, headquartered at Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn. Personnel in the 846 TS are currently exploring the modernization of the test track, now in its eighth decade of existence, to extend Its lifespan and further aid In the development of hypersonic systems. (U.S. Air Force photo)

"The extension of the NG system will allow for larger, operationally-representa­tive test articles and fielded weapons sys­tems to test and push the boundaries of their systems in a controlled and highly­

instrumented environment at velocities previously unattainable in the world," Powell said.

CmTently, recovered high-speed - those of Mach 3 or more - and rain erosion tests are limited to one of the 10-mile-long rails in a monorail configu­

ration. The monorail configuration limits The goals of this modernization effort are to increase the viability of the facilit:y by bolstering infrastructure to prevent de-

terioration and catastrophic failure along the rail system and to provide an unprec­edented capability for testing hypersonic systems into fiscal year 2070 and beyond.

The 846 TS is studying three feasible courses of action, or COAs, to accom­plish the modernization.

"These COAs range from all-new See Holloman, page 3

Masters earns high honor from aerospace organization

Dr. James Masters, a model and simulation engineer at Ar­nold Air Force Base, is among the aerospace professionals from around the world who will be formally honored early next year as American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Associate Fellows. Masters, who has been at Arnold for 18 years, received selection to the AIAA Class of 2022 Associate Fellows for his accomplishments in and contributions to the aerospace field. (U.S. Air Force photo by Bradley Hicks)

In This Issue ....

AEDC Turkev Trot again

on pre-Thanksgiving

menu for runners

... Page 2

By Bradley Hicks

AEDC Public Affairs

A member of the Arnold Engineering Development Complex team is among a group of professionals from around the globe who will soon be formally honored for their contributions to the aerospace field.

Dr. James Masters, a mod­el and simulation engineer at Arnold Air Force Base, the headquarters of AEDC, has been recognized as an Ameri­can Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Associate Fellow. He and others se­lected for the AIAA Class of 2022 Associate Fellows will

be inducted during a ceremo­ny set for early next year.

Masters, who has been at Arnold for the past 18 years, was initially nominated for the competitive fellowship last year after his nominator and fellow aerospace profes­sionals submitted informa� lion and letters of recommen­dation on his behalf.

Masters was not chosen for the recognition at that time and, while admittedly disappointed, he put the nom­ination out of mind.

However, AIAA Associate Fellow nominations remain open for three years from when they arc first submitted, meaning a nominee can be

considered and selected for the recognition at any point during that period.

Masters said he received an email "out of the blue" from AIAA in early Septem­ber informing him that he had been chosen for the recogn-i� tion.

"I was excited," Masters said. "Like I said, I kind of forgot about it because it was the year before that I had got put in for it. I just felt like, 'Oh well, that would have been nice,' but when I got the call, I was excited. I've done

See Masters, page 5

Test Integration:

Three missions,

three views, one goal

Flu shot clinic held

at Arnold AFB

... Page 2 ... Page 5

4 - November 8, 2021

November 8, 2021 - 5

Test Integration: Three missions, three views, one goal By Katherine C. Gandara AFOTEC Public Affairs

KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. - The first Tri-Center Test Integra­tion Summit kicked off at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Sept 15, 2021. The event was hosted by the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Cen­ter and co-chaired by the Air Force Test Center and the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center.

• Gathering and sharing data support­ing test objectives.

• Participating in integrated test plan­ning; supporting the adoption ,ofdigital best-practices to enhance ap­plications of digital cugineering.

• Commitment to developing a tem­plate for a . singular

1 integrated test

organization to be beta tested on a specific program and potentially scaled to the larger enterprise for four-star stakeholder consideration and approval in the future. All three centers agree the way to

accelerale change is by bringing tesl in earlier.

"I'm excited about the future of test.

The summit focused on identifying areas of concern impacting each cen­ter as well as where each center is best positioned to support the others when it comes to test integration. AU three center commanders signed a Tri-Center

Integrated Test and Evaluation Memo­randum of Understanding that focuses on adopting a unified vision for driving

integrated test and evaluation.

One of the great aspects about pattncr­ing with these two Centers is that we can drive collaborative test planning and ex­ecution to increase the speed at which we field mature capabilities," said Maj. Gen. Evan Dertien, Air Force Test Cen• ter Commander. "Since we all have an understanding of the 'value of test' and face similar challenges, I believe this MOU will move us forward with short term and long term goals that will drive increased efficiencies. A tight collabo­ration between developmental te.st and operational test is essential to develop• ing needed capabilities and accelerating change."

The Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, Air Force Test Cen­ter, and U.S. Air Force Warfare Center signed a Tri-Center Integrated Test and Evaluation Memo.randum of Understanding that focuses on adopting a unified vision for driving Integrated test and evaluation. (U.S. Air Force graphic)

"This MOU acknowledges our joint understanding as we pursue common ground," said Maj. Gen. Jim Scars, AFOTEC Commander. "While we have three missions and three views as test or­ganizations, we have one goal. strength­

ening test integration through coordina­tion, cooperation, and collaboration."

are closely aligned in order to speed up the delivery of new capabilities to the warfighter and shorten the feedback loop from warfighter to developer."' said Maj. Gen. Case Cunningham1

United States Air Force Warfare Center Commander. "It's a privilege to work closely with AFOTEC and AFTC in pursuit of this no-fail business for our Nation."

jectives in a collaborative fashion with a one team, one plan, and one test ap­proach.

"Our focus is to integrate devel­opmental and operational rest to the maximum e;w;,tcnt possible," said Sears. "This Tri-Center MOU creates the op­portunity to create a multi-domain test enterprise focused on delivering truth to the warfighter and acquisition com­munities at the speed of relevance."

Through the MOU, the centers agree to adopt a unified vision that drives an integrated test and evaluation activity through: • Collaboration on material support in

manpower and shared resources.

"'In order to accelerate change and keep pace with our strategic competi­tion, it is critical that our three centers

The Tri-Center MOU positions AFOTEC, AFTC and the USAFWC to pursue synchronized collection of data by using test events to achieve test ob-

The AFTC and USAFWC Pub-lie Affairs Offices also cont-

ributed to this story.

AFTC, USSF: A critical link to the future of Space Test By 1st Lt. Christine Saunders Air Force Test Center

AIR FORCE TEST CEN­TER, Calif. - Space capa­bilities intended to survive and operate in a warfighting domain require significant changes to how systems are designed. tested and fielded. Because of this, the Air Force Test Center and U.S. Space Force are dedicated partners in leveraging Test Center re­sources, plans, and processes to help build the space test en­terprise of the recently created US Space Force.

Vice Chief of Space Op­erations for the Space Force, Gen. David D. Thompson, gained first-hand knowledge of AFTC's test partnership with USSF during a visit to Edwards Air Force Base, Cali­fornia, Oct. 4-5.

"The Air Force Test Cen­ter has a tremendous history, legacy, body of knowledge, and expertise in executing rig­orous, reliable and repeatable test programs," Thompson said. "'Opting for a partnership with AFTC was the easy an-

MASTERS from page 1

a lot of work for Al AA, so it was nice to get recognized."

According to the AIAA, the world's largest aerospace technical society with nearly 30,000 individual members from more than 90 countries, the grade of Associate Fel­low recognizes individuals "who have accomplished or been in charge of impor­tant engineering or scien­tific work, or who have done original work of outstanding merit, or who have otherwise made outstanding contribu­tions to the arts, sciences, or technology of aeronautics or astronautics."

For an individual to be selected as an Associate Fellow, he or she must be an AIAA Senior Member in good standing with the or­ganization with at least 12 years of professional expe­rience and must be recom­mended for the honor by three current AIAA Asso­ciate Fellows. Since 2009, Masters has been an AIAA Senior Member, a less-com­petitive designation open to those with the appropriate number of years in the aero• space profession or those with several years of AIAA membership.

"The AIAA Associate Fel-

swer in terms of where to go to get the training and educa­tion expertise we need to build an effective space test enter­prise."

One key partnership be­tween USSF and AFTC is the USAF Test Pilot School's Space Test Fundamentals Course, which officially launched January 2021. The course is now in its third itera­tion.

"Our Test Pilot School has partnered with the USSF, bringing them the foundation of TPS curriculum to help build their cadre of space test professionals with the Space Test Fundamentals course," said Maj. Gen. Evan Dcrticn, AFTC commander.

While the USAF TPS is where the top pilots, naviga­tors and engineers learn how to conduct flight test and gen­erate the data needed to field the world's best aircraft in support of the National De­fense Strategy, the creation of the STF course aims to do the same for the comp lex systems of the space domain.

According to Dr. Andrew Freeborn. STF course director,

lows personify the innova­tion that drives our industry forward," AIAA Executive Director Dan Dumbacher stated in a release announc­ing the Class of 2022 Asso­ciate Fellows. "The members of the Class of 2022 Asso­ciate Fellows embody the commitment, dedication, and ingenuity that are crucial for devising the best solutions to the complex questions raised across the aerospace commu­nity. On behalf of the Insti­tute, we recognize the fami� lies, friends, and colleagues who support the Associate Fellows as they contribute in such a meaningful way to the aerospace community."

Among Masters' contri­butions is his involvement in efforts to return to service some of the large wind tun­nels in the world, includ­ing the main facility at the National-Full Scale Aerody­namics Complex at Moffett Field, California, and the 16-foot supersonic wind tun­nel at Arnold AFB. He acted as the principal aerodynamic analyst for the NFAC flow calibration and characteriza­tion effort. His analysis of the Aerodynamic and Pro­pulsion Test Unit at Arnold AFB directly impacted the

the course recently stood up a curriculum working group with the intent to create an ac­credited space test long course for students in the future. The curriculum will work in tandem with their mission to "produce adaptive, critical­thinking test professionals to conduct full-spectrum test and evaluation of space weapon systems.''

"While we've done test over the years in space, the focus was on ensuring that the systems performed as re­quired in the harsh natural en­vironment of space. There's so much we can and must learn from Test Pilot School about testing system performance, survivability and effectiveness against counterpace weapons currently being fielded by po­tential adversaries," Thomp­son said.

In recent months, AFTC and USSF have also partnered up to create memorandums of agreement, specifically between the Space Training and Readiness Command, or STARCOM, and AFTC in the areas of workforce manage• ment and digital engineering.

design of facility compo­nents, and Masters devel­oped the MeshGrind mesh manipulation toolkit used to accomplish several mesh de­formation-related tasks for AEDC.

Masler.s said one of his proudest technical accom­plishments is the practical application of aspects of the dissertation he completed to earn his doctoral degree from the University of Ten­nessee at Chattanooga in the real-world setting of AEDC. This work led to the publica­tion of several peer-reviewed articles.

"That's something that was really nice because, n lot of times, you'll do a disser­tation and then it just kind of sits on a shelf. It was nice to get some practical use out of that," Masters said.

Masters added he is proud that his efforts bolster inter­est in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, or STEM, fields among chil­dren attending schools near Arnold AFB. which was mentioned in his nomina­tion. These efforts include his involvement in the lo­cal FIRST® Lego League program and the presenta­tion entitled "Engineering:

Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. David 0. Thompson, speaks with Space Test Fundamental class 21-3, at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Oct. 4. Thompson emphasized the Importance of the Space Test Fundamentals course's mis­sion to produce adaptive, critical-thinking test professionals to conduct full-spectrum test and evaluation of space weapon systems. (U.S. Air Force photos by Staff Sgt. Tabatha Arellano)

STARCOM exists to pre­pare combat-ready USSF forces to fight and win in a contested, degraded, and oper­ationally-limited environment through the deliberate devel­opment, education and training of space professionals; devel­opment of space warfighting doctrine, tactics, techniques, and procedures; and the op­erational test and evaluation of USSF capabilities.

Exploring and Impacting Your World" that he regu­larly gives at area schools in which he discusses differ­ent types of engineering and some of the work going on at Arnold.

"I really enjoy contribut­ing to the next generation with the STEM," Masters said.

Dr. Greg Power, model and simulation senior staff engineer at Arnold AFB, works alongside Masters and served as a reference for his AIAA Associate Fellow nomination. He said Masters is extremely deserving of the honor.

"As an Associate Fellow myself, I can say it is a real honor to be recognized by your peers nationally," Pow­er said. "This is a well-de­served recognition of Jim's technical excellence and his dedication to the AIAA organization in promoting technical excellence in the aerospace community and promoting engineering to the next generation."

The individuals chosen for the AIAA Class of 2022 Associate Fellows will be inducted at the AIAA Asso­ciate Fellows Induction Cer­emony on Jan. 3, 2022, at the

"The Test Center is focused on the interoperability of air, space, and cyber systems as dem­onstrated by our Large Force Test Events.like Orange Flag and Emerald Flag- which may be one way the USSF can collaborate with AFTC to test and deliver future capabilities." said Dcrticn.

For more infonnation on the USAF TPS and available cours­es, visit https:l/www.edwards. af.n,il/unitslusaftpsl.

2022 AIAA SciTech Forum in San Diego. California. The event will mark a return to forum for the AIAA, the prior forum was held virtu­ally due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Masters said he usually attends the confer­ences to chair sessions and present research, but receiv­ing his recognition in-person will be a welcomed bonus.

"When I didn't get it, I was a little disappointed, but that was the year everything was virtual," he said. "Now, it's kind of nice that this year, when I did get it, I'll get to go to San Diego."

Masters also expressed his appreciation for the nom­ination and recommenda� tions that made his selection as an AlAA Associate Fel­low possible.

"'It definitely feels good to get recognized for some of your accomplishments," he said. "Sometimes, you just have your nose to the grind­stone for a long time, and it feels good once in a while to have somebody recognizing your accomplishments.

"I hope to pay it forward and be able to nominate some of my colleagues in the future now that l 'm an Asso­ciate Fellow."

6 - November 8, 2021