United States Army Materiel Systems Analysis Activity
Encyclopedia
United States Army Materiel Systems Analysis Activity (AMSAA) is an analysis organization of the United States Army
. AMSAA's overall goal is to provide soldiers with the best U.S. Army materiel possible. AMSAA supports the U.S. Army by conducting systems and engineering analyses to support decisions on technology, materiel acquisitions, and the designing, developing and sustaining of U.S. Army weapon systems.
During the Vietnam War
, AMSAA helped with the decision process to select a new Special Forces
transport helicopter by eliminating deficient models and recommending the most cost-effective one. They also conducted a life-cycle reliability study on several U.S. Army missile systems and saved the Army
millions of dollars in premature replacements. AMSAA supported all branches of the service and became the executive agent of the Joint Technical Coordinating Group for Munitions Effectiveness (JTCG/ME), a group formed in the early 1960s that produced weapons effectiveness manuals.
AMSAA was withdrawn from the Aberdeen Research and Development Center in 1972 and reassigned directly to the United States Army Materiel Command
(AMC
). During the 1970s, the AMSAA mission expanded to include the test design and independent evaluation of the development tests of all major, designated non-major and selected other materiel systems as well as product improvements to them. This work covered weapons of all sizes, from tanks to pistols. AMSAA also fielded teams to military units around the world to assess equipment problems. AMSAA developed an interactive war game model that was used by various North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries to assess the ways to strengthen their defenses against Soviet artillery for the defense of Europe
.
In 1981, AMSAA was assigned the Inventory Research Office, the Logistics Studies Office, and the Procurement Research Office to address the stockpile surveillance mission. This mission included determining the reliability of nuclear and non-nuclear weapons stored around the world. The next year, AMSAA was also assigned the battlefield systems integration mission.
AMSAA took operational control over the Management Engineering Activity in 1998. AMSAA became provisionally part of RDECOM on 1 October 2002 in accordance with AMC
Permanent Orders 267-1. It became a permanent part of RDECOM effective 1 March 2004 in accordance with AMC
Permanent Orders 049-2. Throughout the changes, AMSAA’s mission remained the same, to support decisions on technology, materiel acquisitions, and the designing, developing and sustaining of U.S. Army weapon systems.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. AMSAA's overall goal is to provide soldiers with the best U.S. Army materiel possible. AMSAA supports the U.S. Army by conducting systems and engineering analyses to support decisions on technology, materiel acquisitions, and the designing, developing and sustaining of U.S. Army weapon systems.
History
The AMSAA traces its lineage back through the Ballistic Research Laboratory (BRL), established in 1938, where most of the U.S. Army’s early system analysis work was accomplished during the 1930s-1950s. Over the years, the system analysis group continued to grow in size and in importance until January 1, 1968 when BRL’s Weapons Systems Laboratory became a separate organization. AMSAA’s primary mission was to plan and conduct major systems analyses of proposed and existing U.S. Army weapons/materiel systems, programs and support throughout their life cycle. At APG it was assigned to the Aberdeen Research and Development Center, which included BRL, Human Engineering Laboratories (HEL), Coating and Chemical Laboratory (CCL), and the Nuclear Defense laboratory (NDL).During the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, AMSAA helped with the decision process to select a new Special Forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
transport helicopter by eliminating deficient models and recommending the most cost-effective one. They also conducted a life-cycle reliability study on several U.S. Army missile systems and saved the Army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
millions of dollars in premature replacements. AMSAA supported all branches of the service and became the executive agent of the Joint Technical Coordinating Group for Munitions Effectiveness (JTCG/ME), a group formed in the early 1960s that produced weapons effectiveness manuals.
AMSAA was withdrawn from the Aberdeen Research and Development Center in 1972 and reassigned directly to the United States Army Materiel Command
United States Army Materiel Command
The U.S. Army Materiel Command is the primary provider of materiel to the United States Army.The Command's mission includes the research & development of weapons systems as well as maintenance and parts distribution....
(AMC
United States Army Materiel Command
The U.S. Army Materiel Command is the primary provider of materiel to the United States Army.The Command's mission includes the research & development of weapons systems as well as maintenance and parts distribution....
). During the 1970s, the AMSAA mission expanded to include the test design and independent evaluation of the development tests of all major, designated non-major and selected other materiel systems as well as product improvements to them. This work covered weapons of all sizes, from tanks to pistols. AMSAA also fielded teams to military units around the world to assess equipment problems. AMSAA developed an interactive war game model that was used by various North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries to assess the ways to strengthen their defenses against Soviet artillery for the defense of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
In 1981, AMSAA was assigned the Inventory Research Office, the Logistics Studies Office, and the Procurement Research Office to address the stockpile surveillance mission. This mission included determining the reliability of nuclear and non-nuclear weapons stored around the world. The next year, AMSAA was also assigned the battlefield systems integration mission.
AMSAA took operational control over the Management Engineering Activity in 1998. AMSAA became provisionally part of RDECOM on 1 October 2002 in accordance with AMC
United States Army Materiel Command
The U.S. Army Materiel Command is the primary provider of materiel to the United States Army.The Command's mission includes the research & development of weapons systems as well as maintenance and parts distribution....
Permanent Orders 267-1. It became a permanent part of RDECOM effective 1 March 2004 in accordance with AMC
United States Army Materiel Command
The U.S. Army Materiel Command is the primary provider of materiel to the United States Army.The Command's mission includes the research & development of weapons systems as well as maintenance and parts distribution....
Permanent Orders 049-2. Throughout the changes, AMSAA’s mission remained the same, to support decisions on technology, materiel acquisitions, and the designing, developing and sustaining of U.S. Army weapon systems.
Mission
AMSAA's stated mission is to:- Conduct responsive and effective materiel and logistics systems analyses to support decision making for equipping and sustaining the U.S. Army.
Vision
AMSAA's stated vision is:- A world class analytical organization:
- Committed to giving the Soldier decisive capability to win across the spectrum of future military operations.
- Providing analytical expertise to help guide Army in selecting, acquiring, fielding & sustaining new technologies.
- Developing the analytical workforce of the future.