Arnold Air Force Base

Arnold Air Force Base (Arnold AFB), identified by ICAO code KAYX, is a United States Air Force installation situated near Tullahoma, Tennessee. Construction of the base began in 1950, and it was officially dedicated in 1951, named in honor of General Henry "Hap" Arnold. The base is currently operational and is controlled by the Air Force Materiel Command.

Arnold AFB is home to the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC), which is described as the most advanced and largest complex of flight simulation test facilities globally. This center operates 58 aerodynamic and propulsion wind tunnels, along with rocket and turbine engine test cells, space environmental chambers, arc heaters, ballistic ranges, and other specialized units. AEDC is an organization under the Air Force Test Center. While the airfield at Arnold AFB was closed in 2009, it reopened in May 2023, and Army aviation assets, primarily helicopters, continue to utilize the base to support missions for Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and the Tennessee Army National Guard.

The site's history predates Arnold AFB, with Camp Forrest, a large Army training base, operating there during World War II from 1941 to 1946. This camp also served as a Prisoner of War Camp. After the war, the area was selected for the Air Engineering Development Center due to its ample land, water, and power resources. The base primarily employs a contractor workforce, with the Arnold Research Organization (ARO) initially formed for this purpose. Notable test facilities developed in the 1950s include the Engine Test Facility, the von Karman Gas Dynamics Facility, and the Propulsion Wind Tunnel Test Facility. The base has played a role in testing numerous aerospace systems, including components for the Mercury and Apollo programs, the F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, B-1 Lancer, and F-22 Raptor. The base also features a post office with zip code 37389 and a wetland that is the only documented location of the Gopher Frog in Tennessee.