HISTORY
AMRDEC has a history spanning over 50 years of excellence in aviation and missilery. From the rockets that gave birth to America&s space program, to today&s cutting edge use of UAVs in the Global War on Terror, AMRDEC leads the way in the development of new technologies that continue to defend America and our troops. As a result of Base Realignment and Closure, the Missile RDEC and the Aviation RDEC were combined in 1997. This presented unique organizational challenges but also created opportunities to share technologies across the two mission areas. Today, the AMRDEC directorates all provide support to both.
EARLY BEGINNINGSAMRDEC traces its origins back to October 1948 when the Chief of Ordnance designated Redstone Arsenal as the center for research and development in the field of rockets. One year later the Secretary of the Army approved the transfer of the Ordnance Research and Development Division Sub-Office (Rocket) at Fort Bliss, Texas, to Redstone Arsenal. Among those transferred were Dr. Wernher von Braun and his team of German scientists and technicians who had come to the United States after World War II. The Von Braun Team is most noted for its pioneering efforts in helping the Army at Redstone lay the foundation for U.S. space exploration.
With the transfer of the Von Braun Team to NASA in 1960, research and development activities by the Army at Redstone turned to integrating space-age technology into weapons for the soldier in the field.
Click Here for timelines, historical photos and videos related to Army aviation and missile research, development and engineering at Redstone Arsenal from the 1950s to today.
NAME AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES
1962 - The U.S. Army Missile Command (MICOM), including the Directorate of Research and Development, was activated.
1965 - Redesignated the Research and Development Directorate.
1968 - Redesignated the Research and Engineering (R&E) Directorate.
1971 - Redesignated the Directorate for Research, Development, Engineering, and Missile Systems Laboratory (RDE&MSL).
1972 - Redesignated the Army Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Laboratory (MRDEL).
1977 - With the establishment of the U.S. Army Missile Research and Development Command (MIRADCOM), the Technology Laboratory and the Engineering Laboratory were born.
1979 - Reorganized/redesignated as the Army Missile Laboratory (AML) as part of the shift from the dual to the merged command structure of the reinstituted MICOM. Also effective this date, the Engineering Laboratory was realigned and established as the Engineering Directorate.
1980 - Engineering Directorate functions were placed under AML.
1985 - Redesignated the Research, Development, and Engineering Center (RDEC) in compliance with AMC directions to establish research, development, and engineering (RD&E) centers to serve as technical centers of excellence and to assure maximum return from resources devoted to RD&E efforts.
1997 – The Aviation RDEC (AVRDEC) and the Missile RDEC (MRDEC) assigned under the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM).
1999/2000 – AMRDEC formed by merging the AVRDEC and the MRDEC.
2004 - AMRDEC assigned under the new U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM).
ACHIEVEMENTS & RECOGNITION
Since 1976, AMRDEC has received 29 Awards for Excellence from the Department of the Army, including being named the Army&s Research and Development Laboratory of the Year an unprecedented nine times (FY07, FY05, FY03, FY00, FY94, FY93, FY89, FY85, FY81). The annual award program evaluates Army laboratories on their accomplishments in research, development, management, and on contributions to the Global War on Terrorism. AMRDEC is evaluated among the Army&s "Large Development Labs".
AMRDEC Timeline (Click Image to Enlarge)
Toftoy and Von Braun (Click Image to Enlarge)
CH-37 (click to enlarge)
