A new chapter in fighter jet innovation has officially taken off at Eglin Air Force Base. On May 1, 2025, the first-ever F-35 Lightning II Combined Test Force (CTF) was established as part of Eglin’s expanding fighter test community—a significant milestone not just for the base, but for the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command Test Center (AATC) as well.
This groundbreaking unit marks the first time the Air Reserve Component (ARC) has stood up a test force dedicated to fifth-generation fighter aircraft, solidifying its place in developmental and operational testing alongside the active-duty force.
AATC pilots have long been integrated into Eglin’s test programs, regularly flying Developmental Test (DT) and Operational Test (OT) missions with aircraft from the 96th Test Wing and the 53rd Wing. Now, with the formal activation of the CTF, the ARC is moving from a supporting role to a leading one—shaping the future of air combat capability.
“Coordinating and streamlining across the Total Force by tirelessly testing, evaluating, and extrapolating our capabilities is how we bring the future faster,” said Maj. Gen. Duke Pirak, Air National Guard’s acting director.
Traditionally operating legacy aircraft, the ARC’s expansion into F-35 testing reflects a broader mission evolution. The CTF now stands at the forefront of integrating cutting-edge technologies into combat-ready strategies.
“We are primarily accountable to the warfighter,” said Col. Daniel J. Wittmer, AATC commander. “Our weapons and tactics process create a bottom-up approach to solving critical capability gaps for warfighters across all mission sets in all areas of responsibility. It is simply not possible to modernize as fast and effectively as AATC does without benchmark processes coupled with the best operators, analysts, and engineers.”
This philosophy underpins AATC’s well-known model of delivering “an 80% solution at 20% the cost”—targeting the most impactful upgrades with streamlined efficiency.
Currently, CTF pilots are conducting test flights in F-35As supplied by the Alabama and Vermont Air National Guard units, representing a unified, cross-state commitment to advancing U.S. airpower.
With the stand-up of this new test force, Eglin continues to cement its status as a national leader in next-generation air dominance—where tradition meets innovation, and the future of flight is being forged today.
