A 96th Test Wing F-15E Strike Eagle flies during a test mission with laser-guided rockets May 22, 2025, over Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas Barley)
By Troy Turner
The U.S. Air Force awarded a Huntsville, Alabama-based engineering services firm a nearly $2 billion, 10-year contract for work at one of the American military’s most important test and training bases that evolves assets ranging from missiles and cyber elements to command-and-control systems.
Strategic Test Solutions LLC was awarded the $1.87 billion service contract for operations and maintenance of the Eglin Test and Training Complex and Major Ground Test Facilities.
Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and is expected to be completed by March 2036.
Strategic Test Solutions is headquartered in Huntsville, was founded October 2024 and federally registered in February 2025. It is a joint venture between AI Signal Research Incorporated, also headquartered in Huntsville, and Sierra Lobo, Inc., headquartered in Fremont, Ohio.
Sierra Lobo has an extensive history of developing test and research facilities for NASA in addition to its military contracts.
AI Signal Research Inc (ASRI) announced last September the formation of its new ASRI Test Innovation, Engineering and Research Center based in Huntsville. “The ATIER Center represents an intentional focus on advancing cost-effective state-of-the-art Test & Evaluation instrumentation and technology solutions in support of our military multi-service test range customers,” the company said.
The Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting agency with the Strategic Test Solutions contract.
The 96th Test Wing
The 96th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base serves as host at the test and evaluation center for Air Force air-delivered weapons, navigation and guidance systems, command and control systems, and Air Force Special Operations Command systems.
The wing provides expert evaluation and validation of the performance of systems throughout the design, development, acquisition and sustainment process to ensure U.S. warfighters “have technologically superior, reliable, maintainable, sustainable and safe systems,” according to Air Force materials.
The 96th Test Wing performs developmental test and evaluation across the complete system life cycle for a wide variety of customers including: Air Force Systems Program Offices, the Air Force Research Laboratory, logistics and product centers; major commands; other DoD services and U.S. government agencies (Department of Transportation, NASA, etc.); foreign military sales; and private industry.
Additionally, the wing commander serves as the installation commander, supporting Team Eglin with traditional military services as well as all the services of a small city.
As Eglin’s host wing, the 96th leads more than 19,000 military, civilian and contractor personnel providing essential base operating support and services for nine wings and wing equivalents, 11 operating locations and detachments and 35-plus associate units. The wing executes an annual budget of more than $630 million.
There are eight distinct groups, including the Air Force Seek Eagle Office, and 49 squadrons and divisions; management of approximately 120,000 square miles of over water airspace, the Air Force’s largest fire program, emergency services, explosive ordnance disposal squadron, and supply function.
The wing is home to the Air Force’s third largest hospital, which services more than 119,000 beneficiaries and operates the Air Force’s only Intrepid Spirit Center. It is also home to the Air Force’s largest transportation function in the continental U.S.; one of three Air Force combat-coded control and reporting centers and one of two Department of Defense units to achieve level five software engineering status. The Air Force Armament Museum also falls under the 96th Test Wing.
(Eglin AFB/U.S. Air Force photos by Samuel King Jr.)
The 96th Operations Group conducts the wing’s primary missions of developmental testing and evaluation of conventional munitions, command and control systems, F-15 and A-10 avionics, and navigation and guidance systems.
The 96th Cyberspace Test Group serves as the lead organization for developmental testing of command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems; cybersecurity operations; and electronic warfare.
Troy Turner is the editor and senior consultant for AlaDefense.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. His bio can be found here.
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