Page 9 - Aerotech News and Review, October 16, 2020

Air Force, Space

Force select

students for space

test fundamentals

course

by 2nd Lt. Christine Saunders course available,” said Col. Sebrina
Edwards AFB, Calif. Pabon, TPS commandant and 2006
TPS grad.
The Air Force Test Center’s Test Pi- Pabon, the first female and second
lot School at Edwards Air Force Base, flight test engineer to command the
Calif., is one step closer to standing up school since its inception in 1944, also
the Space Test Fundamentals course. mentioned the Space Force needs to be
“Today, here in this building, a board able to test systems to make sure they
is selecting the first class of space pro- function as designed and meet the re-
fessionals to attend our new space test quirements in a safe, secure, efficient
fundamentals course,” said Air Force and effective manner.
Test Center Commander, Maj. Gen. The development of the course is
Christopher Azzano during the Multi- part of the broader U.S. Space Force’s
Domain Test Force activation cer- effort to increase the trained cadre of
emony, held Oct. 1, 2020 in the TPS test and engineering professionals to
Scobee auditorium. “How fitting that meet the demands of the new service. Air Force photograph by 2nd Lt. Christine Saunders
we’re talking about a new paradigm for “This course coalesces test and Col. Sebrina Pabon, Test Pilot School commandant, talks with Air Force Test Center Commander, Maj. Gen. Christopher
domain-integrated test in the halls of space expertise from Test Pilot School, Azzano, during the Space Test Fundamentals Course student selection board at Edwards AFB, Calif., Oct.1, 2020. The
our own test pilot schoolhouse.” the Space Force, NASA, the Air Force board selected students for the three planned courses for 2021, with the initial course scheduled to begin in January 2021.
The U.S. Space Force Test Direc- Academy, and others,” said Col. Nick
torate and Air Force Test Center’s Test Hague, USSF Test and Evaluation
Pilot School completed the selection director, and NASA astronaut. “It is
board for the inaugural Space Test Fun- just the first step in training the cadre a flight test instructor pilot who man- board to teach a week of instruction ability to host a maximum of 30 stu-
damentals course. The school, located of space test professionals we need ages the STF course. “Subjects like sta- specific to astronautical engineering dents per class and an overall training
at Edwards AFB, received 166 appli- — space operators, engineers, space tistics, reporting, and overarching test such as orbital mechanics, satellite bus throughput of up to 90 students per
cants prior to its Sept. 15 application acquisition test managers — to deliver processes are domain agnostic.” design, and space environment. year.
deadline. on-orbit capabilities for the nation.” The course is currently broken up The course is open to all Defense The Space Test Fundamentals selec-
The board selected students for the The curriculum is based on the same into six modules to include: introduc- Department officers, enlisted and civil- tion board also happened to coincide
three planned courses for 2021 with test and evaluation foundation that tion to air vehicle flight test, introduc- ian personnel who meet the eligibility with the conclusion of U.S. Space
the initial course scheduled to begin grounds the current USAF Test Pilot tion to systems testing, basics of the criteria. TPS plans to notify all stu- Force’s second round of a three-week
in January 2021. The course is a 13- School. space environment, a field trip to see dents selected as primary and alternate space test course taught in cooperation
week, hands-on program designed to “A lot of the content that will be U.S. space development, test, and op- by November. with National Test Pilot School. The
train personnel in the fundamentals of going into the STF course was cherry- erations facilities, a capstone exercise The course expects to host 15 stu- NTPS course was put in place to bridge
space domain test and evaluation. picked directly from what we teach featuring a graduation project, and dents per class and is scheduled to be the training gap while planning for the
“This is the most in-depth, hands- on the air side, from the foundational lastly a course wrap up. held three times a year. A new course stand-up of the more extensive Air
on space domain test and evaluation TPS content,” said Dr. Andy Freeborn, The U.S. Air Force Academy is on facility is under construction with Force TPS three-month course.
Air Force Test Center stands up Multi-Domain Test Force

by 2nd Lt. Christine Saunders sources currently executing Orange Flag, Emer- all warfighting domains. Air, space, cyber, land Knowing this, the U.S. must finish first in the new
Edwards AFB, Calif. ald Flag, JADC2 demonstrations and other test and sea,” said Azzano. “The winner of future race for JADC2 dominance,” said Azzano.
efforts. battles will be the side best able to integrate the The MDTF is committed to warfighter readiness
Air Force Test Center Commander, Maj. Gen. “The MDTF isn’t a new building with new power of each domain to create dominant, syner- and lethality as it grows into a full-fledged multi-do-
Christopher Azzano, stood up AFTC Detachment people and new equipment,” said Azzano. “The gistic effects that must overwhelm the adversary. main test coordination unit in the year ahead.
1, the Multi-Domain Test Force Oct. 1, 2020, at MDTF is a new paradigm.”
Edwards AFB, Calif., to address the increased de- To reduce the administrative burden of coordi- Air Force Test Center
mand for testing multi-domain capabilities across nating with the test organizations needed to meet Commander, Maj. Gen.
Christopher Azzano,
the U.S. Armed Forces. multi-domain objectives, the MDTF will serve as stands next to Christopher
The MDTF will function as the integrative and the one-stop-shop. Klug, the new AFTC
administrative hub for test programs in an effort “MDTF is an agile, adaptable, innovative and Detachment 1, Multi-
to help the Department of the Air Force acceler- evolving team. It’s a mindset for collaborating Domain Test Force
ate change in a Joint All-Domain Command and across the vast talent and experience in AFTC director on Oct. 1, 2020
Control environment. and our mission partners: the Air Force Warfare at Edwards Air Force
Azzano also announced Christopher Klug, Center, Life Cycle Management Center, Air Force Base, Calif. The MDTF
former technical adviser to the 412th Operations Research Laboratory, Air Force Operational Test was stood up to address
the increased demand
Group commander, as the first director of the and Evaluation Center, and the U.S. Space Force,” for testing multi-domain
MDTF team. said Azzano. capabilities across the
“I’m honored and humbled,” said Klug, former The team will connect existing test resources U.S. Armed Forces.
chief engineer at the Global Vigilance Combined to meet multi-domain test objectives, and provide
Test Force. “This topic has been near and dear to the structure to develop new capabilities.
me for almost a decade.” “The MDTF will leverage the talent of this
Klug shared his vision of the MDTF mission. enterprise to build and prove the asymmetric ad-
“MDTF will provide combat-credible military vantage of Joint All-Domain Operations, enabled
forces with combat-credible materiel tested in an by a resilient JADC2 architecture,” said the com-
interstate strategic competition context with a mander of 18,000 personnel.
focus on deterring China, Russia, North Korea The MDTF is set to partner with allied nations
and Iran,” said Klug. to test materiel in a coalition environment.
The MDTF will integrate the teams and re- “The next conflict will be fought in and across Air Force photograph by Giancarlo Casem

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