ACEVAL/AIMVAL

<p>The Air Combat Evaluation (ACEVAL) and the Air Intercept Missile Evaluation (AIMVAL) were two back-to-back Joint Test & Evaluations chartered by the <a href="/facts/United_States_Department_of_Defense/dWAvf7e3">United States Department of Defense</a> that ran from 1974-78 at <a href="/facts/Nellis_Air_Force_Base/eKx6u9X9">Nellis Air Force Base</a> in <a href="/facts/Nevada/HNWhCrQv">Nevada</a>. Both the <a href="/facts/U.S._Air_Force/7MxWBYlc">U.S. Air Force</a> and <a href="/facts/U.S._Navy/xYK0fUou">U.S. Navy</a> participated, contributing a team of <a href="/facts/F-15_Eagle/8ublq0RC">F-15 Eagle</a> and <a href="/facts/F-14_Tomcat/Ana2Iw4D">F-14 Tomcat</a> fighter aircraft and using the local <a href="/facts/Northrop_F-5/AA5EwFox">F-5E Aggressor</a> aircraft as the <a href="/facts/Opposing_force/FgUa9yMH">Red Force</a>.  The fundamental question that needed to be answered was one of "quantity vs quality".  Mock engagements showed that cheaper, lower-technology fighters armed with all-aspect missiles were able to destroy the more advanced, expensive F-15's and F-14's.  These results of the AIMVAL/ACEVAL testing led to the Air Force decision to structure its fighter forces with a balance of cheaper <a href="/facts/General_Dynamics_F-16_Fighting_Falcon/0KRD0Gqy">F-16</a>'s along with the more expensive F-15's, and the Navy took a similar strategy in procuring cheaper <a href="/facts/F/A-18/hsKrCHym">F/A-18</a>'s along with the more expensive F-14's.  The results had other impacts as well, such as decisions regarding missile development.
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ACEVAL/AIMVAL open-in-new

ACEVAL/AIMVAL