U.S. Army DEVCOM Aviation & Missile Center

In accordance with Army Directive 2026-17, this page will deactivate no later than 20 July 2026. This action is part of an Army-wide directive to streamline digital communication. We will continue to communicate with our partners across government, industry and academia via https://lnkd.in/eWanV85k or https://www.dvidshub.net/, and on our website at https://www.avmc.army.mil/. For updates here on LinkedIn, we encourage you to follow our higher headquarters, U.S. Army Transformation and Training Command.

📰 #FlashbackFriday to 2000, when the Center Formerly Known as AMRDEC successfully launched a Hellfire missile from a light armored vehicle, "contributing to the U.S. Army's effort for a lighter, leaner, meaner future force." #WeAreDEVCOMAvMC | #WeWereAMRDEC

Want to learn more about how the Center -- and the US Army -- is transforming the way we do business? Tune in to the latest episode of the Space and Defense Innovation Launchpad Podcast featuring our Center Director, Dr. James Kirsch. 🔗 Listen to the full interview here below: A special thank you to Brian and the ATARC team for hosting this great discussion!

It is a rare event to have all your higher headquarters’ commanders in one room. But it makes sense if you know Col. Justin Highley. Lt. Gen. Miles Brown, acting commander for U.S. Army Transformation and Training Command; Lt. Gen. Michael McCurry, commander of U.S. Army Futures and Concepts Command; and Brig. Gen. Robert Born, commanding general for U.S. Army DEVCOM, were present Wednesday, July 1, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis for a change of command and retirement for Highley, who is concluding a decorated Army career. Read more as the Center salutes Highey and welcomes Lt. Col. Lev Mazeres as the new commander of DEVCOM Aviation & Missile Center’s Conceptual Design, Analysis & Experimentation, Maneuver Air Directorate, link in the comments:

In honor of #Freedom250 and our nation’s Independence Day, the Center team came together to reflect on the document that started it all. 🇺🇸 Watch as our teammates read part of the Declaration of Independence in a powerful reminder of the foundational ideals we continue to defend today. From 1776 to 2026, the commitment to liberty and the mission endures. Happy 4th of July from DEVCOM AvMC! Take a moment to listen to the words that shaped our history.

“Our job is to develop, demonstrate and deliver capabilities that make our aviators safer and more effective. We do everything from developing advanced composites for aircraft fuselages to flight testing new missiles on an Apache – we’re a pretty diverse organization. And regardless of where you sit in our team, everyone plays a role in that.” Col. (and aviator) Justin Highley, who retires today after a distinguished military career. Thank you for your leadership and for your service, Sir!

As Dr. Reitmeier says, "The future of aviation is bright." After an incredible chapter of driving innovation, the Center’s Design, Simulation & Experimentation, or DSE, division, co-located at NASA Ames Research Center on Moffett Field, California, has officially transferred functions to Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, and Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. The groundbreaking work accomplished here by our military, civilian and contractor personnel has played a vital role in shaping the future of Army Aviation. We want to extend a sincere thank you to our dedicated team, our partners and the Moffett Field community. While our physical location is changing, our commitment to the mission remains stronger than ever.

In times of organizational change, leadership must strike the delicate balance of guiding the mission while supporting the people who make that mission possible. For the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center, that is David Zecher. Zecher has been named the Center’s new deputy director, supporting Director Dr. James Kirsch while also stepping into the director role for the newly established Strategic Technology and Integration Directorate. With Kirsch dual-hatted as the Portfolio Acquisition Executive’s Fires Systems Center director and the Center currently evolving to support the PAEs, Zecher will assist with Center-focused activities. Read more at the link in the comments:

“We help the U.S. Army figure out how to make things faster…better…cheaper.” The Center's Seth Allison talks about why he made the DEVCOM Aviation & Missile Center his professional home. #WeAreDEVCOMAvMC | #FeatureFriday

On today's #ScienceForTheSoldier: a sneak peek into one of the laboratories at U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center. While it may look like a UFO (and we would never tell visiting schoolchildren it was, *wink*), this is actually the GEMNI (Gray Eagle Unmanned Aircraft System Modeling, Navigation and Integration) lab. The GEMNI lab is a Position Navigation and Timing hardware-in-the-loop testbed simulating Global Positioning System denied/degraded conditions, which allows DEVCOM AvMC to rapidly test and integrate new technologies and capabilities associated with alternative and complementary navigation techniques.