Based at West Fort Hood, Texas, the directorate maintains a close working relationship with the U.S. Army Aviation Center, evaluators, various combat arms proponents, materiel developers, the technical test community and Battle Labs.

Recently, this directorate's focus has undergone a significant transformation. To date, the AH-64D Longbow Apache operational test remains the largest and most complex Army aviation test in history. Rapidly changing needs will drive testing of upgrades to this airborne battle horse.

Future plans include extensive testing of unmanned aerial vehicles in conjunction with the Intelligence, Electronic Warfare Test Directorate at Fort Huachuca.

The Aviation Test Directorate is also planning multiple stages for operational tests of the UH-60M Black Hawk and the CH47F Chinook Cargo helicopters, which utilize emerging technology designed for the Army’s Future Force on the digitized battlefield.

As a key component to the future digitized battlefield, AVTD will also support the effort to field a common cockpit for the Army's rotary aircraft.

From the earliest test flights of the Wright Brothers to protecting and equipping the future air warrior, AVTD will play a vital role in supporting the Army's requirement for in-depth operational test and analysis.