Aviation Development Directorate (ADD)

Aviation Development Directorate logo

The Aviation Development Directorate (ADD) manages and conducts the Army’s aviation-related Science and Technology (S&T) activities as the aviation arm of the Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (AMRDEC). The ADD mission is to lead the discovery, development, and integration of Aviation technologies that transform Warfighter needs into capabilities. ADD accomplishes this vital mission by empowering a distributed workforce of technical leaders to discover new technologies and approaches, develop advanced concepts, and demonstrate technical maturity and military usefulness, enabling the Army to deliver game changing Aviation capabilities to the battlefield.

ADD’s S&T portfolio supports both the current and future Army Aviation fleet. Although a large portion of our investment is focused on future fleet, most of our technology development will also help keep the existing fleet relevant and capable for years to come.

The guiding document for all ADD Science and Technology efforts is the Army Aviation Science and Technology Strategic Plan (ASSP) which documents Aviation Science and Technology through the long range planning period to 2048. The ASSP describes the technology objects and metrics for each technology area that must be achieved in order for ADD to deliver needed capability to the Army.

ADD also responds to customer requests by providing unique assistance with projects and finding solutions in the aviation technical area. Scientific and technical experts can apply their talents and resources to rapidly address aviation challenges emerging within programs or unique units.

ADD manages the Aviation portfolio through Focus Areas that represent the building blocks of Aviation platforms and capability: Basic Research, Concept Design and Assessment, Mission Systems, Platform, Power, Sustainment. ADD puts special emphasis on developing system-level capabilities by synchronizing efforts across the Focus Areas. Individual components and technologies simply do not stand alone in our complex systems.

Functions

  • Plan, manage, and execute all aspects of the Army Aviation S&T portfolio.
  • Integration and utilization of applied research and advanced technology development programs for future manned and unmanned aviation technologies.
  • Serve as the primary interface for integrated program planning with RDECOM and ASA>(ALT).
  • Aviation S&T leads for the RDECOM Technology Focus Teams (TFTs).
  • Provide coordination and planning for OSD and International S&T forums.
  • Coordinate with the Aviation customer base ensuring effective communications to facilitate transition of S&T developments to the acquisition agent.
  • Interface with TRADOC, COEs, and other warfighter elements to ascertain requirements and assess the impact on aviation technology programs and plans.
  • Develop future manned and unmanned aviation base plans, roadmaps, and strategies to ensure Army Aviation technology programs are consistent with planned requirements to meet capabilities required by the Army.
  • Coordinate with the technology community (military services, government agencies, industry and academia) to determine the state of manned and unmanned aviation technologies to facilitate the planning process within the ADD.
  • Determine state of the art verses state of the possible for Army Aviation.

ADD Research Centers

Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD) is located at the Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia and the Aeroflightdynamics Directorate (AFDD) is located at NASA Ames Moffett Field, California. ADD is organized as a distributed organization at these 3 locations to leverage unique test facilities, personnel and capabilities such as: the Ballistics, Countermeasures, and Structural Test Facilities located at Ft. Eustis, VA, the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex, the Tiltrotor Test Rig, at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA and the 14x22 ft and Transonic Dynamics Wind Tunnels at NASA Langley, Hampton Virginia. The USAF-operated Full Scale Wind tunnel at Moffett is large enough to hold and turn blades on aircraft the size of a UH-60 Blackhawk and is considered a national asset.