The Army Air Forces Proving Ground Command (AAF PGC) was the primary testing command of the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

(1946-47), and then the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

(1947-57). In March 1946, the

Army Air Forces Center The Army Air Forces Tactical Center was a major command and military training organization of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It trained cadres from newly formed units in combat operations under simulated field condition ...

was redesignated the AAF PGC, adding the responsibilities of a similarly named organization in June, when it moved to

Eglin Field Eglin may refer to: * Eglin (surname) * Eglin Air Force Base, a United States Air Force base located southwest of Valparaiso, Florida * Federal Prison Camp, Eglin, a Federal Bureau of Prisons minimum security prison on the grounds of Eglin Air Forc ...

, Florida. It became the

Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

' (later the

's) primary testing command (except for a brief period in 1948, when it was part of

Air Materiel Command Air Materiel Command (AMC) was a United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force command. Its headquarters was located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. In 1961, the command was redesignated the Air Force Logistics Command wi ...

) until 1957. In 1957 the PGC was redesignated the

Air Proving Ground Center The Air Armament Center (AAC) was an Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) center at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, responsible for development, acquisition, testing, and deployment of all air-delivered weapons for the U.S. Air Force. Weapon system ...

and re-assigned to

Air Research and Development Command The Air Force Systems Command (AFSC) 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. Ove ...

(ARDC). The APGC continued its mission thereafter as part of the ARDC. From 27 October 1942, the School of Applied Tactics, later the AAF Tactical Center and then the AAF Center, was stationed at

Orlando Army Air Base Orlando Executive Airport is a public airport three miles (6 km) east of downtown Orlando, in Orange County, Florida. It is owned and operated by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) and serves general aviation. Overview Orlando ...

, Florida. The Centre was redesignated the AAF PGC on 8 March 1946 and, the same day, re-stationed to Eglin Field (later Air Force Base), Florida. It remained at Eglin AFB thereafter. On 1 October 1998, the Air Force Development Test Center, as it had become, was redesignated the

Air Armament Center The Air Armament Center (AAC) was an Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) center at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, responsible for development, acquisition, testing, and deployment of all air-delivered weapons for the U.S. Air Force. Weapon systems ...

. The Air Armament Center continued to carry out its tasks until it was inactivated on 1 October 2012.

Lineage

* Established as Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics on 27 October 1942, with major command status : Redesignated: Army Air Forces Tactical Center on 16 October 1943 : Redesignated: Army Air Forces Center on 1 June 1945 : Redesignated: Army Air Forces Proving Ground Command on 8 March 1946 : Redesignated: Air Proving Ground Command on 10 July 1946 : Redesignated: Air Proving Ground on 20 January 1948 : Redesignated: Air Proving Ground Command on 29 December 1951 : Redesignated: Air Proving Ground Center on 1 December 1957 : Redesignated: Armament Development and Test Center on 1 August 1968 : Redesignated: Armament Division on 1 October 1979 : Redesignated: Munitions Systems Division on 15 March 1989 : Redesignated: Air Force Development Test Center on 11 July 1990 : Redesignated: Air Armament Center on 1 October 1998 : Inactivated on 1 October 2012

Assignments

, 27 October 1942 *

, 20 January 1948 *

, 1 June 1948 *

(later Air Force Systems Command), 1 December 1957 *

Air Force Materiel Command 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 Com ...

, 1 July 1992 – 1 October 2012 (attached to Air Force Life Cycle Management Center after 18 July 2012)

Components

; Division * Air Force Division, Joint Long Range Proving Ground, 1 December 1949 – 14 May 1951 ; Wings * 550th Guided Missiles Wing, 20 July 1949 – 1 December 1950Ravenstein, pp. 284-285 * 3200th Maintenance Wing (later 3200th Test Wing), 1 July 1953 – 24 October 1955Mueller, pp. 138-140 *

3200th Proof Test Wing 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...

, 1 April 1951 – 1 July 1952 * 3201st Air Base Wing, 1 April 1951 – 1 July 1957 * 3202d Installations Wing, 1 July 1953 – unknown * 3206th Support Wing (later 3206th Test Wing, 1 July 1953 – 1 July 1957 ; Groups * 1st Experimental Guided Missiles Group, 6 February 1946 – 20 July 1949 * 3200th Proof Test Group (see 3200 Headquarters Squadron) ; Squadrons * 3200 Headquarters Squadron (later 3200th Proof Test Group), 1 July 1948 – 1 April 1951, 1 July 1952 – 1 July 1953 * 3201 Headquarters Squadron (later 3201 Air Base Group), 1 July 1948 – 1 April 1951 ; Base units * 600th AAF Base Unit (later 600th AF Base Unit), 1 October 1947 – 9 July 1948''See'' Mueller, p. 138 (Base units at Eglin). * 604th AF Base Unit, 16 January 1948 – 9 July 1948 * 605th AAF Base Unit (later 600th AF Base Unit), 1 October 1947 – 9 July 1948 * 607th AAF Base Unit (later 600th AF Base Unit), 1 October 1947 – 9 July 1948 * 609th AAF Base Unit (Airdrome Group) later 600th AF Base Unit), 1 January 1947 – 9 July 1948 * 610th AAF Base Unit (Proving Ground Complement, later Flight Test), 1 June 1946 – 1 August 1947 * 611th AAF Base Unit (Flight Test) (later 600th AF Base Unit (Proof Test Group)), 1 June 1946 – 9 July 1948 * 612th AAF Base Unit (Fixed Gunnery School), 1 June 1946 – 31 December 1946 * 615th AAF Base Unit, 1 August 1946 – 31 December 1946 * 902d AAF Base Unit (Facilities), 15 June 1946 – 20 Jul 1946 * 999th AAF Base Unit (AAF Tactical Applications Center), 1 June 1946 – 31 December 1946

References

Bibliography

* * {{cite book, last=Ravenstein, first=Charles A., title=Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977, url=https://archive.org/details/airforcecombatwi0000rave, access-date=December 17, 2016, year=1984, publisher=Office of Air Force History, location=Washington, DC, isbn=0-912799-12-9, url-access=registration Test and evaluation units and formations of the United States Air Force Major commands of the United States Air Force Military units and formations established in 1946