EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - The Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Command Test Center established its first-ever F-35 Combined Test Force at Eglin Air Force Base on May 1.
This major milestone establishes the Air Reserve Component as a key player in fifth-generation fighter aircraft testing.
The ceremony drew senior leadership from the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, including U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Duke Pirak, acting director, Air National Guard and Col. Daniel J. Wittmer, commander, Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Command Test Center. Their presence underscored the strategic importance of expanding reserve component testing capabilities to fifth-generation aircraft, reaffirming the ARC’s growing role in advancing cutting-edge fighter technology.
“Increasing lethality, survivability, connectivity and logistical agility is the key to the success of the Total Force, and AATC’s Air Dominance Division F-35 Combined Test Force makes that possible,” Pirak said. “Coordinating and streamlining across the Total Force by tirelessly testing, evaluating, and extrapolating our capabilities is how we bring the future faster.”
This milestone builds on AATC’s established track record with F-35 testing initiatives. Before forming the dedicated test force, AATC had already demonstrated its value through work on Hot Integrated Combat Turn procedures that reduced aircraft turnaround times from three hours to under 25 minutes - a capability that enhances combat effectiveness while reducing ground vulnerability.
As the ARC traditionally operates legacy fighter platforms, the establishment of a dedicated F-35 test force represents a strategic expansion of ARC capabilities into fifth-generation aircraft operations that signals the ARC’s growing involvement beyond its historical support role, positioning it as a key contributor to worldwide combat operations.
The new F-35 CTF will continue applying AATC’s signature “bottom-up” approach to testing and fielding. This methodology enables tactical experts to communicate directly with senior leadership, eliminating bureaucratic delays that traditionally slow capability delivery. By maintaining this streamlined process, AATC accelerates the transition from concept to combat capability.
“We are primarily accountable to the warfighter,” Wittmer said. “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. It is simply not possible to modernize as fast and effectively as AATC does without benchmark processes coupled with the best operators, analysts, and engineers in the world.”
This approach aligns with AATC’s proven model of delivering an 80% solution at 20% of the cost. By focusing on high-impact modifications and streamlined testing procedures, AATC addresses critical capability gaps, and a cost-effective approach ensures
Reserve Component aircraft maintain combat relevance and interoperability with active-duty counterparts, even under constrained budgets.
AATC is responsible for operational and developmental flight tests, tactics development and evaluation for all Air Reserve Component (ARC) weapons systems. Additionally, AATC is chartered to modernize the ARC’s Battlefield Airman Enterprise that includes Intelligence, Surveillance, & Reconnaissance (ISR), Cyber, Space and all other Combined Test Forces.