Army Evaluation Center

The Army Evaluation Center (AEC) is the central focus of Program Element (PE) 0605716A, which is funded under the Army's Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) Management Support appropriation. The primary goal of this program is to provide the resources necessary for the AEC to function as the Army's independent evaluator for Army Futures Command (AFC) Cross Functional Team (CFT) initiatives and all other Army and Joint Service programs. The AEC is responsible for planning, directing, and evaluating all required program testing, serving as an unbiased authority to report on system progress and readiness for decision-makers across the Army and Department of Defense.

The AEC's objectives include developing and executing test strategies, verifying system safety, and conducting data analyses from early developmental tests through operational evaluations. The AEC works closely with AFC to develop Critical Operational Issues and Criteria (COIC), ensuring that testing is focused on essential requirements and that unnecessary tests are avoided. The Center's independent assessments cover system effectiveness, suitability, survivability (ESS), and safety, with special emphasis on areas such as cybersecurity, electronic warfare, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the viability of emerging technologies and engineering changes.

Civilian pay is the largest component of this line item, with the majority of the AEC's budget dedicated to civilian labor. The funding supports the development of evaluation strategies, the design and execution of technical and operational tests, and the preparation of evaluation plans and safety verification documents for a large number of systems and programs. The AEC also supports the Army Capabilities Integration Development System and provides direct support to AFC by embedding personnel with eight CFTs, the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technology Office, and the AI Task Force. The Center invests in workforce development, new evaluation tools, and methodologies for emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, virtual/augmented reality, and hypersonic weapons.

Operations support is another key budget line, covering operational costs such as facilities maintenance, custodial services, security, software licenses, workforce training, and IT equipment upgrades. These operational supports are essential for maintaining the safety, health, and technical readiness of the AEC's workforce and infrastructure. The funding also covers contract support services for IT helpdesk, network, and cybersecurity, as well as annual consumable supplies and minor upgrades to secure information processing and storage capabilities.

The AEC's organizational structure consists of seven directorates: Analytics, AI, and Digital Engineering Evaluation; Aviation-Fires Evaluation; Ballistic Missile Defense Evaluation (primarily funded by the Missile Defense Agency); Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, and Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance Evaluation; Mounted Systems Evaluation; Soldier Evaluation; and Survivability Evaluation. The AEC headquarters is lean, leveraging staff services from the Army Test and Evaluation Command headquarters. This structure enables the AEC to provide direct, geographically distributed support to AFC CFTs and other critical Army modernization efforts.

The justification for this program is rooted in the need for an independent, technically proficient organization to ensure that Army systems are effective, suitable, survivable, and safe before fielding. The AEC's work supports major acquisition and fielding decisions, compliance with congressional mandates such as those on cybersecurity and electromagnetic effects, and readiness assessments through human and system integration. The Center also manages operational assessments during annual Combatant Command and Army Service exercises and fulfills operational test agency duties for the Missile Defense System of Systems.

In FY 2026, the AEC's budget request was reduced due to rebalancing and optimization of the workforce, travel, and service contracts, in alignment with executive orders on government efficiency. Despite these reductions, the AEC will continue to execute its strategic and campaign plans, invest in talent development, and develop advanced test and evaluation tools for artificial intelligence, software, and emerging technologies. The program remains critical to supporting Army modernization priorities and providing senior leadership with unbiased, data-driven advice on the readiness and effectiveness of Army and Joint Service programs.