Across the U.S. Air Force, maintaining readiness is dependent on the ability to train for high-risk scenarios with both precision and consistency. This is especially crucial within firefighting response units, which are part of the overall civil engineering community.
An essential aspect of keeping these airmen mission-ready are aircraft fire training facilities (AFTFs). By simulating high-risk aircraft emergencies in a repeatable setting, these facilities give firefighters critical hands-on experience. However, many existing AFTFs date back decades, and their training scenarios no longer fully align with the techniques used in modern Air Force firefighting. To address this gap, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) has launched a strategic initiative to establish a modernized standard design and ensure consistent, up-to-date training capabilities across the service.
Developed for enterprise-wide use, the new AFTF concept sets the stage for consistent, repeatable facility development while still allowing for site-specific flexibility. This is an important attribute given the highly varying geographies of Air Force installations and the types of weather-related impacts they endure.
The AFTF work is part of a broader infrastructure modernization initiative by the Department of the Air Force. The new design provides a scalable template that meets today’s operational needs and remains adaptable as future firefighting techniques and technologies evolve. The AFTF concept also will streamline planning and procurement processes for base engineers, who can use the design as a foundation for issuing design-build construction task orders under existing contract vehicles.
The AFTF package, developed to the 35 percent to 65 percent design level, can be adapted for both new construction and retrofits. The concept supports improved readiness, modernized simulation equipment, updated environmental compliance, and long-term lifecycle performance.