What s a United States Air Force installation with more squadrons than any other USAF base, that ran wo back-to-back Joint Test & Evaluations chartered by the United States Department of Defense that ran from 1974-78?
ACEVAL/AIMVAL The Air Combat Evaluation (ACEVAL) and the Air Intercept Missile Evaluation (AIMVAL) were two back-to-back Joint Test & Evaluations chartered by the United States Department of Defense that ran from 1974-78 at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. Both the U. S. Air Force and Navy participated, contributing a team of F-15 Eagle and F-14 Tomcat fighter aircraft and using the local F-5E Aggressor aircraft as the Red Force. The fundamental question that needed to be answered was one of "quantity vs quality". Mock engagements showed that cheaper, lower-technology fighters armed with all-aspect missiles were able to destroy the more advanced, expensive F-15's and F-14's. These results of the AIMVAL/ACEVAL testing led to the Air Force decision to structure its fighter forces with a balance of cheaper F-16's along with the more expensive F-15's, and the Navy took a similar strategy in procuring cheaper F-18's along with the more expensive F-14's. The results had other impacts as well, such as decisions regarding missile development.
339th Flight Test Squadron The 339th Flight Test Squadron is a United States Air Force unit based at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is part of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, with a mission to certify aircraft as worthy to return to service. The squadron is responsible for conducting flight tests on the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy and McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle after program depot maintenance is completed.