Armament Directorate

The Armament Directorate is part of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, a U.S. Air Force organization. It manages air-launched weapons for the U.S. services, allies and partners. Its director is based at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.

The directorate designs, develops, produces, fields and sustains air-to-ground and air-to-air munitions. These weapons are made for the United States and allied nations. Their aim is to defeat a range of enemy targets. A senior Air Force leader called the Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Weapons directs the work.

The directorate is responsible for the full life cycle of air-delivered munitions. These include the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile, the Joint Direct Attack Munition and the Small Diameter Bomb. They also include hypersonic weapons, the Massive Ordnance Penetrator and air dominance advanced programs. The portfolio covers ammunition, combat training systems, threat emitters for test and training, and aerial targets.

The directorate reports to two bodies. One is the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition in Washington, D.C. The other is the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. Its main operating locations are Eglin, Hill and Robins Air Force Bases. The portfolio is worth $93 billion.

Work is split across nine divisions. The Air Dominance Division provides air dominance capabilities. Stand-In Strike works on weapons that can be upgraded quickly. The Attack Division builds attack capabilities for U.S. warfighters and coalition partners. The Long Range Systems Division delivers long-range, precise air-launched weapons. The Munitions Division arms and sustains forces with munitions for the U.S. and partner nations.

The Weapons Superiority Division develops, produces and sustains tactical weapons for use against targets in the air or on the ground. The Agile Weapons Division uses digital acquisition and open architecture approaches. The Rapid Enterprise Solutions Division supports the workforce, facilities and digital tools of the weapons enterprise. The Disruptive Futures Division is the hub for new armament concepts.

Services

• Air-to-ground munitions
• Air-to-air munitions
• Air-delivered munitions life cycle management
• Hypersonic weapons
• Ammunition
• Combat training systems
• Threat emitters
• Aerial targets