Evaluating the service's future: AFOTEC ensures new weapons, technologies meet warfighter's needs.

The men and women at the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, located at Kirtland Air Force Base, N. M., do just what their organization's name says. For more than 30 years, they have tested and evaluated new weapon systems or technologies that are introduced to the Air Force.

These tests reduce the risks associated with new technologies and make sure they deliver what they say they can in the least amount of time and as cheap as possible.

"AFOTEC is in the right place at the right time to provide the right information to senior acquisition decision makers and the warfighter," said Maj. Gen. Stephen T. Sargeant, AFOTEC commander. "Our primary purpose is to support America's fighting forces whose mission is to defend and protect the United States."

AFOTEC specialists are developing a new technology process--from concept to system fielding--and strive to be involved with these programs as early as possible.

"We believe this approach to testing influences a program in a relevant, operational and testable manner," General Sargeant said. "We believe in early influence so that we maintain an operational focus to ensure our combatant commanders have the right tools to win today's and tomorrow's battles."

Once AFOTEC engineers assess a project and determine its feasibility, there are several phases that follow. These include system development and demonstration phase, production and deployment phase and operations and support phase. During each phase, the project undergoes several tests it must pass before placement in the next phase.

"Properly testing systems means they will meet the threats the men and women of the military face every day," General Sargeant said.

AFOTEC currently operates five detachments and 12 operating locations across the United States.

By Staff Sgt. Matthew Bates