Air Force Materiel Command has begun an effort to make its test & evaluation process—a major mission in a weapon system’s development and procurement—more efficient and, hopefully, more economical. At the end of August, a group of 31 from AFMC and the Air Staff took part in what the service calls a rapid improvement event. Their goal was to outline an early tester involvement process that they believe would help “deliver effective and suitable weapon systems on time and on cost,” said David Jerome, deputy director of AFMC’s air, space, and information operations. Problems testers face include inefficient test design, late defect discoveries, and incomplete developmental testing. Solutions proposed include making testers part of source selection teams to “capture all requirements to plan and execute tests;” identifying an early point in the program to establish an integrated test team; and educating stakeholders (system operators and procurers) about the importance of early T&E planning. It all sounds simple enough.
Air Force Munitions Gets Big Boost from Reconciliation
June 28, 2025
Thanks to reconciliation, the fiscal 2026 Air Force budget would get a surge of munitions procurement, but it's not yet clear if the production increase will be sustained. The Air Force revealed the secret AIM-260 air-to-air missile's funding for the first time.