REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (July 6, 2021) – Modernization. Reform. Readiness.
They are the mission pillars that translate into real-world priorities for the Army and the driving force behind the technology developed at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center.
Headquartered at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, DEVCOM AvMC’s reach extends from coast to coast, with locations at Moffett Field, California; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Corpus Christi, Texas; Honolulu, Hawaii and Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. An integral part of Army research and development for almost 60 years, AvMC’s mission remains steadfast: to develop, integrate, demonstrate and sustain aviation and missile systems capabilities to support modernization priorities and improve readiness. While the center looks drastically different from when it originated in 1948, the AvMC team – approximately 12,000-strong – has remained at the forefront of Army technology.
“As we look at who our threats are over the next several years, AvMC is right in the middle of figuring out how (future technology) is integrated together – and how it will work,” AvMC Director Jeff Langhout said.
The center’s focus is on four key priorities:
- Develop and integrate next generation technologies to ensure aviation and missile dominance.
- Provide world-class functional engineering expertise to the Program Executive Offices, Missile Defense Agency, Rapid Capabilities & Critical Technologies Office and other critical partners.
- Provide world-class sustainment engineering expertise to Aviation and Missile Command partners.
- Recruit and develop the engineering talent to achieve areas 1-3.
AvMC is a part of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Futures Command. The center is comprised of three directorates:
Systems Readiness Directorate
- SRD provides missiles and aviation customers with responsive engineering expertise and airworthiness solutions throughout the system life cycle.
Software, Simulation, Systems Engineering and Integration Directorate
- S3I develops life cycle systems engineering, software engineering, modeling and simulation, systems development, prototyping, and technical systems management products and solutions, using innovative collaboration.
Technology Development Directorate
- TDD strives to be the world leader in next-generation aviation and missile technology and life cycle support, ensuring that Warfighters safely accomplish their missions with lethality, safety, and efficiency.
Together, the three directorates encompass a wealth of knowledge of subject matter experts, but also the best and the brightest of the next generation who join together to solve the aviation and missile challenges that the Army faces.
But AvMC is not an island to itself. Its partnerships range far and wide from industry to educational institutions to program executive offices, program managers, numerous Department of Defense and other federal agencies.
“The Army counts on us to be the great functional engineering expertise for our PEOs, for our Missile Defense Agency partners, for our RCCTO partners and other critical partners across the DOD and FBI and other places,” Langhout said. “The Army is counting on us to be the smart people when it comes to aviation and missile technologies and we are doing some hard things.”
Of AFC’s eight cross-functional teams, which focus on the modernization priorities for the Army of 2030 and beyond, AvMC is the lead for Future Vertical Lift and Air and Missile Defense, and plays a critical role in Long-Range Precision Fires. AvMC also serves as airworthiness engineers for the Army Airworthiness Authority and assesses all aircraft modifications for the Army to ensure that they do not adversely impact flight safety.
“We are the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center. We have a responsibility and a mission to ensure our Soldiers have the combat capabilities they need so that they can do what we ask them to as a nation and they can come home safely,” said Dr. James Kirsch, director of the Software, Simulation, Systems Engineering and Integration Directorate. “Whatever else we do, what other part of DEVCOM we are, that is ultimately our job.
“And a lot of times, it is not just our Soldiers, combat capabilities extend to our sailors, to our Airmen, to our Marines. That is our sacred responsibility.”
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The DEVCOM Aviation & Missile Center, headquartered at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the Army’s research and development focal point for advanced technology in aviation and missile systems. It is part of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Futures Command. AvMC is responsible for delivering collaborative and innovative aviation and missile capabilities for responsive and cost-effective research, development and life cycle engineering solutions, as required by the Army’s strategic priorities and support to its Cross-Functional Teams.
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