Arnold Air Force Base

Arnold Air Force Base is located in Coffee and Franklin counties, Tennessee, near Tullahoma. The installation occupies the former site of Camp Peay, a National Guard camp established in 1926 that was expanded during World War II into Camp Forrest. Between 1941 and 1946, the site served as a multi-discipline training area and included William Northern Field, which supported training for B-24 Liberator crews. The facility also served as a prisoner of war camp before being declared surplus in 1946. Congress authorized the creation of the Air Engineering Development Center in 1949, and construction began in 1950. President Harry S. Truman dedicated the installation on June 25, 1951, naming it after General Henry Arnold.

The base is operated by the U.S. Air Force under the Air Force Materiel Command. It hosts the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC), which is part of the Air Force Test Center. The complex performs flight simulation testing using a network of 58 aerodynamic and propulsion wind tunnels, rocket and turbine engine test cells, space environmental chambers, arc heaters, and ballistic ranges. Army aviation assets supporting Fort Campbell and the Tennessee Army National Guard also utilize the installation. The airfield, which was closed in 2009, returned to operational status in 2023.

Infrastructure includes the Engine Test Facility, the von Karman Gas Dynamics Facility, and the Propulsion Wind Tunnel Test Facility. Specialized laboratories include the J-6 solid rocket motor test facility, the Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit, and the DECADE nuclear weapons effects facility. The base provides testing environments for aerospace systems including the F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II, and the B-2 Spirit. Propulsion testing is conducted on systems such as the Pratt & Whitney F135 and General Electric F101 engines. Additionally, the base manages Hypervelocity Wind Tunnel 9 in White Oak, Maryland.