Department of Defense Invests in Hypersonic Testing Upgrades at Arnold Air Force Base

Additional staffing will allow the high-temperature laboratory to operate longer hours as demand for testing is expected to increase in the year ahead.

Kimberly Johnson

Thursday, January 06, 2022 at 06:21 PM ET

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A carbon-carbon leading edge undergoes testing in the arc jet test cell H-2. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

Arnold Air Force Base's AEDC is significantly increasing its capacity for hypersonic systems testing in anticipation of a surge in demand.
This expansion includes a $2.35 million DoD investment to hire more staff, extend high-temperature lab operations, and increase test throughput for materials characterization and hypervelocity impact testing.
Concurrently, AEDC is modernizing its facilities for next-generation turbine engine testing, including restoring two altitude test cells to accommodate advanced propulsion systems for military aircraft.

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Arnold Air Force Base’s space testing branch is ramping up testing throughput capacity in anticipation of an increase in demand for hypersonic systems testing in the coming year, it announced.

The move comes as the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) at the air base in Tullahoma, Tennessee, is also modernizing testing capacity for next generation turbine engines for military aircraft.