The Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Command Test Center established its first F-35 Lightning II Combined Test Force at Eglin Air Force Base on May 1.
- The new test force makes the Air Reserve Component a major participant in fifth-generation fighter aircraft testing, expanding beyond its traditional role with legacy fighter platforms.
“Coordinating and streamlining across the Total Force by tirelessly testing, evaluating, and extrapolating our capabilities is how we bring the future faster,” said Maj. Gen. Duke Pirak, Air National Guard’s acting director.
AATC pilots have been part of the Eglin test community for some time, with many stationed at the base where they routinely fly developmental test and operational test missions with 96th Test Wing and 53rd Wing aircraft.
The establishment of the Combined Test Force strengthens the Air Reserve Component’s role in advancing fighter technology.
Col. Daniel J. Wittmer, AATC commander, emphasized the organization’s focus on addressing critical capability gaps: “We are primarily accountable to the warfighter. Our weapons and tactics process creates a bottom-up approach to solving critical capability gaps for warfighters across all mission sets in all areas of responsibility.”
The AATC follows a model focused on delivering an 80% solution at 20% the cost through high-impact modifications and streamlined testing.
Currently, the test force pilots fly F-35As supplied by the Alabama and Vermont Air National Guard for their test missions.
