Hypersonic facility for U.S. Army now in development
NewsMay 14, 2020
COLLEGE STATION, Texas. Construction of the Bush Combat Development Complex is set to begin this fall after The Texas A&M University System Regents cast three votes to help transform how the U.S. Army prepares for future combat. Regents voted to amend the system’s capital budget, adding $79.3 million to begin development.
The facility is intended to aid in the Austin-based U.S. Army Futures Command’s modernization mission by allowing soldiers from Fort Hood and the A&M Corps of Cadets to test high-tech prototypes as they are being developed. The $200 million center will also aim to support the U.S. Army’s desire to quicken its procurement process.
The Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, headquartered at the RELLIS campus, has already signed a $65 million cooperative research agreement with the Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC)-Army Research Laboratory (ARL). In addition, the 86th Texas State Legislature appropriated $50 million to Gov. Greg Abbott to transfer Texas A&M Engineering Experimental Station (TEES) for Army Futures Command efforts.
The complex will feature a kilometer-long hypersonic facility to help determine the best design and materials, laboratories, runways, underground and open-air ranges, and a network of sensors and systems for experimentation, data collection, analysis and, storage.
