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42-620: A committee chaired by a representative of AMC (the Air Material Command, predecessor to the Air Force Materiel Command ) and composed of industry representatives from IBM and United States Steel , as well as members of AMC Programming Services, developed the draft AIMACO language definition. Even though the word "compiler" was part of its name, no compiler was ever written for it; although at least two were specified or designed. The original intention of AMC

84-717: A UNIVAC at the AMC headquarters at Wright-Patterson AFB for operation on UNIVAC or IBM computers. An alternative compiler was designed by AMC Programming Services to compile systems on IBM computers for operation on IBM computers. AIMACO, along with FLOW-MATIC and COMTRAN, influenced development of the COBOL programming language. The Atlas program led to the belief that the entire responsibility for deploying new weapons systems – from research, development and testing through procurement and production – should be vested in one command, rather than split between Air Materiel Command (AMC) and ARDC. It

126-537: A new major command. In the reorganization and re-designation actions of 1961, Air Materiel Command was re-designated Air Force Logistics Command (AFLC) while Air Research and Development Command, gaining responsibility for weapon system acquisition, was re-designated Air Force Systems Command (AFSC) under General Bernard Schriever . Under the Kennedy Administration , Secretary McNamara instituted powerful centralization tools in acquisition such as

168-413: A separate research and development command in 1950. It incorporated Air Proving Ground Command in 1957. On 1 July 1992, AFSC and Air Force Logistics Command were merged to form the Air Force Materiel Command , located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base , Ohio . In the reorganization of 1961, Air Force Systems Command acquired the materiel procurement function from Air Force Logistics Command . It

210-583: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Air Force Materiel Command The Air Force Materiel Command ( AFMC ) is a Major Command ( MAJCOM ) of the United States Air Force (USAF). AFMC was created on July 1, 1992, through the amalgamation of the former Air Force Logistics Command (AFLC) and the former Air Force Systems Command (AFSC). AFMC is headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton , Ohio . AFMC

252-715: Is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command . It was established in April 1951, being split off from Air Materiel Command . The mission of AFSC was Research and Development for new weapons systems. AFSC took on engineering functions which formerly resided in the Air Materiel Command (AMC), the Army Air Forces Technical Service Command (TSC), and the Air Technical Service Command (ATSC) as

294-509: Is one of nine Air Force Major Commands and has a workforce of approximately 80,000 military and civilian personnel. It is the Air Force's largest command in terms of funding and second in terms of personnel. AFMC's operating budget represents 31 percent of the total Air Force budget and AFMC employs more than 40 percent of the Air Force's total civilian workforce. The command conducts research, development, testing and evaluation, and provides

336-441: Is the Air Force's nuclear-focused center, synchronizing all aspects of nuclear materiel management in support of Air Force Global Strike Command . Its headquarters are located at Kirtland AFB , New Mexico and it has the following subordinate units. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is the Air Force's only organization dedicated to leading the discovery, development and integration of technologies in air, space and cyber for

378-676: Is the major unit located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base , Ohio . There are also nine additional AFMC host bases. In addition, the command operates associate units and tenant activities on several non-AFMC bases, including the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center at Kirtland Air Force Base , New Mexico . The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center (AFIMSC) serves as the single intermediate-level headquarters responsible for providing installation and mission support capabilities. Its headquarters are located at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland , Texas and it has

420-529: The Army Air Forces (AAF) were alarmed by many of the new weapons that would revolutionize air warfare which had emerged from foreign laboratories. Radar, jet aircraft ( Messerschmitt Me 262 , Fieseler Fi 103 (V-1 flying bomb) ) and ballistic missiles ( V-2 rocket ) had all either originated or been perfected outside the United States. Congress greatly increased funds for R&D. Subsequently,

462-695: The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress intercontinental bomber, the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker jet-powered refueling tanker aircraft, the Lockheed C-130 Hercules turboprop transport and the Lockheed U-2 very high-altitude strategic reconnaissance aircraft. In addition, ARDC played a major contribution in the development of Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), which became a priority after

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504-655: The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III transport, the Rockwell B-1 Lancer bomber, and a new generation of orbiting Reconnaissance satellites . These programs were the main activities of AFSC during the 1970s. With the Reagan Administration 's military buildup during the 1980s, the pace and scope of Air Force acquisition again escalated. Now the focus centered on the modernization of strategic systems which had atrophied during

546-659: The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program , Forward Looking Infrared Sensors (FLIR), and Precision-guided munitions all represented significant AFSC contributions to Air Force operations in Southeast Asia. The sustained growth of Soviet power after the Cuban Missile Crisis challenged the entire spectrum of U.S. military capabilities. These factors led to a new wave of Air Force weapons development beginning in

588-832: The Total Package Procurement concept (TPP). This system shifted many major program management functions to the Pentagon. Stressing computer modeling, concurrency, and paper competitions among the contractors, TPP sharply curtailed the flexibility of Systems Command program managers. Cost overruns and serious technical difficulties in such TPP programs as the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy and General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark lead to drastic changes in DoD acquisition practices. In 1970, Deputy Secretary of Defense David Packard revised many McNamara policies. He decentralized

630-708: The United States Army 's Aeronautical Division of the Signal Corps (United States Army) , acquired several examples of the Wright Military Flyer of 1909 . USAAF / USAF aircraft Research and Development (R&D) was merged with aircraft procurement twice in the 20th century (e.g., 1944, 1992). Air Materiel Command was established on March 9, 1946, and in November 1946, AMC's History Office published Materiel Research and Development in

672-743: The Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex at Robins Air Force Base . The center provides depot maintenance, supply chain management and installation support. In 2015, the command officially activated its sixth center, the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center , which provides centralized management of installation and mission support. The center is located at Joint Base San Antonio , Texas. Air Force Materiel Command conducts research, development, test and evaluation, and provides acquisition management services and logistics support. AFMC headquarters

714-568: The Air Age , in January 1948. It set forth a new concept of airpower, i.e., a powerful peacetime force able to counter any enemy air attack. The Finletter Report inspired a group of senior USAF officers with backgrounds in engineering and related fields to analyze the existing R&D organization. Their findings, and the salesmanship of Generals Jimmy Doolittle and Donald Putt , convinced Air Force Chief of Staff General Hoyt S. Vandenberg to put

756-457: The Air Materiel Command and assuming the latter's supply and maintenance roles. The material procurement role was transferred. On the same date, Air Force Systems Command was also established at Andrews Air Force Base , Maryland, assuming the R&;D role of the former Air Research and Development Command while also inheriting AMC's materiel procurement role. Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC)

798-705: The Army Air Arm, 1914-1945 . In 1947, AMC bases were transferred to the newly established United States Air Force , with facilities such as the storage depot in Maywood, California , being renamed Cheli Air Force Station . On April 1, 1961, as part of the DoD reorganization under President John F. Kennedy and his Secretary of Defense, Robert S. McNamara , the Air Force Logistics Command was established at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base , replacing

840-678: The Materiel Division of the newly established Army Air Corps in October 1926, it undertook the procurement, supply and maintenance activities of Army aviation. American aviation development fell behind its European rivals after the mid-1930s when Germany started a continental arms race. The threat of war at the decade's end began to change the situation. During the late 1930s American industry spent over $ 100 million annually on aviation research. University grants grew and military personnel enrollment in science courses increased. Leaders of

882-532: The R&D mission on a more equal footing with the operational Air Force. Accordingly, and in the face of intense Air Staff opposition, on 23 January 1950, the Research and Development Command (RDC) came into being. Eight months later it was re-designated the Air Research and Development Command (ARDC) as a separate organization devoted strictly to research and development. Research and Development Command

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924-605: The US Air and Space Forces. Its headquarters are located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio and it has the following subordinate units. The mission of the Air Force Sustainment Center (AFSC) is to provide sustainment and logistics readiness. The center provides integrated logistics and sustainment to the Air Force through depot maintenance, supply chain management and installation support. Its headquarters are located at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma and it has

966-491: The Vietnam era and afterward. But increased activity and defense spending brought acquisition reform issues to the forefront. Cost, schedule, and quality problems troubled some major weapons programs. Media stories about spare parts overpricing and questionable contractor overhead charges created a national sensation. This negative publicity, coupled with soaring federal deficits and reductions in domestic spending, contributed by

1008-450: The acquisition and life cycle management services and logistics support. The command develops, acquires and sustains the air power needed to defend the United States and its interests. This is accomplished through research, development, testing, evaluation, acquisition, maintenance and program management of existing and future USAF weapon systems and their components. The United States Armed Forces procurement of military aircraft began when

1050-695: The acquisition system and reemphasized prototyping in weapons development. As the Vietnam War dominated the late 1960s and early 1970s, AFSC focused on quick solutions to the needs of operational units in the Southeast Asia (SEA) war zone. Areas such as Electronic warfare (ECM) ( Douglas EB-66 Destroyer ) were greatly expanded in response to the North Vietnamese Surface-to-air missile (SAM) air defense systems. The modification of transports ( AC-130 Hercules , AC-119 Flying Boxcar ) into gunships, improved reconnaissance sensors,

1092-466: The closure of Kelly Air Force Base as an independent installation, with incorporation of its runways and remaining military flight line areas as the Kelly Field Annex to adjacent Lackland Air Force Base . The Sacramento Air Logistics Center at McClellan Air Force Base was also closed/privatized and McClellan Air Force Base totally closed. McClellan became a totally civilian airport with

1134-570: The defense industrial base. On 26 April 1984 the vice-commander of AFSC, Lieutenant General Robert M. Bond , was killed during a retirement visit to the 6513th Test Squadron at Groom Lake while flying a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 at over Mach 2. During this turbulent period, new and updated weapons systems continued to join the USAF. The B-1B Lancer was delivered to SAC in record time, though with significant problems that would hamper its service career for some time. Stealth technology found its way to

1176-578: The definition of a high level programming language influenced by the UNIVAC Flow-Matic and COMTRAN programming languages. The draft AIMACO language definition was developed by an AMC-chaired committee of industry representatives from IBM , United States Steel , and AMC Programming Services. AIMACO had two compilers specified/designed (never produced), and AMC originally intended all programming for AMC systems would be in AIMACO and compiled on

1218-735: The engineering function resided in the Materiel Command, the AAF Technical Service Command, the Air Technical Service Command, and the Air Materiel Command. The war had shown the destructiveness of aerial attack and made Arnold an aggressive advocate for aeronautical research. On 7 November 1944, General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold , Commanding General of the Army Air Forces, directed the AAF Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) to study

1260-697: The exception of Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento and the Air Force Recruiting Service 's 364th Recruiting Squadron. In 2012 there was a major reorganization (5 Center Construct) and several new centers were organized. Among them, the Air Force Sustainment Center at Tinker Air Force Base now directs the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex at Tinker Air Force Base , the Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill Air Force Base , and

1302-473: The following subordinate units. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's (AFLCMC) mission is to deliver affordable and sustainable combat capabilities to US and international partners. It is the single center responsible for total life cycle management of all aircraft, engines, munitions, and electronic systems. Its headquarters are located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio and it has the following subordinate units. The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (AFNWC)

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1344-461: The following subordinate units. The Air Force Test Center (AFTC) conducts developmental and follow-on testing and evaluation of crewed and uncrewed aircraft and related avionics, flight-control, munitions, and weapon systems. Its headquarters are located at Edwards AFB, California and it has the following subordinate units. U.S. Armed Forces systems commands Air Research and Development Command The Air Force Systems Command ( AFSC )

1386-808: The late 1960s. Systems Command found itself managing a broad array of new tactical and strategic programs including the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle , General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters, the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II ground support aircraft, the LGM-118 Peacekeeper , the AGM-86 (air) and BGM-109 (ground) cruise missiles, the Boeing E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System,

1428-451: The middle of the decade to a political backlash against Ronald Reagan's military programs. The situation gave enormous political impetus to reductions of defense spending and an overhaul of the nation's military establishment, including its weapons acquisition practices. AFSC led the way for acquisition improvements with greater reliance on multi-year contracting to stabilize weapons programs and increased investment in modernization programs for

1470-733: The ramps in the form of the F-117 Nighthawk fighter-bomber and the B-2 Spirit bomber. After the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster , AFSC helped restore the nation's space launch capability by quickly making available a family of new expendable launch vehicles such as the Delta II . Major gains were made in operational readiness rates through the Reliability and Maintainability (R&M) 2000 program. With

1512-484: The technological achievements of America's wartime allies and provide a blueprint for large-scale research and development of science and advanced technology for the Air Force. However, the Army Air Forces needed to achieve independence, which it did on 18 September 1947, with its transition into an independent United States Air Force . Also, the role of the Air Force in the postwar world had to be defined. The 1948 Finletter Commission published its report, Survival in

1554-646: The world learned that the Soviet Union had detonated a thermonuclear (hydrogen) bomb on 23 August 1953. A crash program was employed which developed America's first ICBM (the SM-65D Atlas ), that became operational in 1959. In terms of importance, resources, and success, the ICBM program was rivaled only by the famed Manhattan Project of World War II. AIMACO , the "Supply Control Command compiler" for Ai r Ma teriel Co mmand, began circa 1959 with

1596-583: Was activated on July 1, 1992, as part of a post- Cold War , USAF-wide reorganization that resulted in the merger of AFLC and AFSC into a single major command. After AFMC was established, the command's infrastructure saw significant reductions through Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) actions. This included the BRAC-directed closure/privatization of the San Antonio Air Logistics Center at Kelly Air Force Base , Texas and

1638-763: Was re-integrated with Air Force Logistics Command in 1992. The origins of Air Force Systems Command date at least to the establishment of the Airplane Engineering Department by the Chief Signal Officer, U.S. Army, on 13 October 1917 at McCook Field , Ohio. Re-designated the Engineering Division of the U.S. Army Air Service in March 1919, this organization carried out the research, development and testing of military aircraft, engines, airships and accessories. Renamed

1680-586: Was redesignated the Air Research and Development Command (ARDC) on 16 September 1950, and the Arnold Engineering Development Center was dedicated by President Harry S. Truman on 25 June 1951. During the 1950s, the new command began to make its mark. ARDC developed many ambitious aircraft and missile prototypes. Among the successes of this period were the North American F-86 Sabre swept wing fighter,

1722-460: Was that all programming for AMC systems worldwide would be written in AIMACO and compiled on a UNIVAC in AMC headquarters at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base , Dayton, Ohio . This would be for software whether it was intended to operate on UNIVAC or IBM computers. An alternative compiler was designed by AMC Programming Services persons to compile systems on IBM computers for operation on IBM computers. This programming-language -related article

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1764-469: Was the Soviet Union 's launch of Sputnik 1 in October 1957 that greatly influenced HQ USAF and ARDC thinking. The Stever Report , completed in June 1958, which proposed a new Air Force command for weapons acquisition. With this report and a realization of DoD's desire to assign the military space mission to the Air Force, the Air Force won the approval of Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara in 1961 for

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