The Joint Air Delivery Test and Evaluation Unit (JADTEU) is a tri-service Air Warfare Centre unit located at RAF Brize Norton, England. Commanded by a lieutenant colonel, it has a combined strength of approximately 115 military personnel and civil servants. Its primary role is to conduct operational trials and evaluation and to develop the delivery by air of personnel, machines and materiel on behalf of sponsors. In addition it provides advice/recommendations to MOD sponsors, other government departments, civilian industry and foreign governments on all air transport matters. It received ISO 9001 accreditation in 1997, this a requirement of holding Design Approved Organisation Scheme (DAOS) approval.
History The Joint Air Transport Establishment (JATE) has its origins in the formation of the Army's Airborne Forces Development Centre (AFDC) at Amesbury Abbey in May 1943 and the RAF's Airborne Forces Tactical Development Unit (AFTDU) at Tarrant Rushton in September 1943. These units evolved into the Army Air transport Training and Development Centre (AATDC) and the RAF's Air Transport Tactical Development Unit (ATTDU), before joining in 1968, under the tri-service banner of JATE.
Since its inception in 1968, JATE has undergone two stages of restructuring combined with moves in location. The first stage of restructuring was largely concerned with consolidation and unification, whilst the second stage was one of streamlining with further merger of resources. The transition from inception to the leaner and unified structure of today is briefly outlined in the paragraphs that follow.
JATE Pre History
AFDC's task was to develop and test equipment peculiar to parachute and glider techniques and to develop tactical glider loads for airborne operations. Loading techniques were investigated for the Horsa, Hamilcar and Hadrian gliders and were later extended to include Dakota aircraft. A large amount of work was also done on supplies packing and dropping of Army stores.
During the latter half of 1944 the growing need for air transport of the Army as a whole (as distinct from Airborne Forces) was appreciated, and in order to embrace and co-ordinate all Army air transport requirements, certain essential amendments were made and the centre re-designated the Army Airborne Transport Development Centre (AATDC).
The RAF's AFTDU was renamed Air Transport Tactical Development Unit (ATTDU) in January 1944 and moved to Netheravon; it was renamed again in August 1945 to Transport Command Development Unit (TCDU). It moved to Harwell in November 1945 and to RAF Brize Norton in January 1946.
In May 1946 the AATDC moved to RAF Brize Norton to facilitate co-operation with TCDU which provided the airlift for trial drops and exercises and which assisted in the clearance of Army loads for carriage in powered aircraft and gliders. During this period an American Airborne Detachment joined AATDC, not only for liaison purposes, but to take an active part in tests and training.
In June 1949 AATDC was renamed the Airy Air transport Training and Development Centre, (because of its training commitments), and kept the abbreviation AATDC. At the same time it moved with TCDU to RAF Abingdon. In March 1951, AATDC moved to RAF Old Sarum where it remained for over 20 years working closely with the Aeroplane and Armaments Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) at Boscome Down, Army headquarters and formations in the Salisbury Plain and the Joint Warfare Establishment also at Old Sarum.
TCDU disbanded at Abingdon on 28 February 1950 but in its place, a day later, an Air Transport Development Flight was created as part of Flying Wing RAF Abingdon. However in October 1951, this flight became a separate unit in Abingdon known as the Transport Command Development Flight (TCDF). It moved to Benson in January 1956 and was disbanded there a year later in February 1957. After a year it was decided to recreate a specialist unit and the Air Movements Development Unit (AMDU) was formed at Abingdon in March 1958 where it stayed for seven years until its disbandment on 31 May 1965 to be replaced a day later, also at Abingdon, by the Air Transport Development Unit (ATDU).
Inception (Old Sarum)
JATE (Joint Air Transport Establishment) was formed in January 1968 with its headquarters at Old Sarum, which at that time was also home of the Joint Warfare Establishment (JWE) and the Army Air transport Training and Development Centre (AATDC). The initial JATE Organization was based on a consortium of three separate units, operating under the co-coordinated control of Headquarters JATE. The three units in question comprised the Army's long serving AATDC, already located at Old Sarum, the RAF's Air Transport Development Unit (ATDU), located at RAF Abingdon, and a completely new body, formed at Old Sarum as part of the new organisation, and titled the Joint Helicopter Development Unit (JHDU). In its make up, the JHDU had absorbed the former Helicopter Section of the AATDC and, beyond that, as a tri-service unit the JHDU afforded Naval presence within the JATE organisation. At JATE Headquarters level there was a close link with JWE, with the post of Commandant JATE combined with that of Deputy Commandant JWE.
The JATE organisation continued on the above lines until 1970, when the Ministry of Defence decided that JATE should be based entirety at RAF Abingdon (already the home of the ATDU). As part of the change it was also decided that the main element of JHDU should become independent of JADTE, and remain at Old Sarum with the new title Joint Helicopter Tactical Development Unit (JHDTU). The one section of JHDU retained by JATE, made up in part of personnel of AATDC's old Helicopter Section, was the one concerned with helicopter underslung and internal load clearance work and techniques for carriage of troops by helicopter. Stemming from its JHDU background, JATE's Helicopter Section of today remains JATE's most 'Joint' section having RN, RM, Army and RAF representation.
Consolidation and Unification (RAF Abingdon)
In the second half of 1970 Headquarters JATE moved to RAF Abingdon. In the light of the move the post of Commandant JATE had ceased to be combined with that of Deputy Commandant JWE, and trials section of AATDC. The move to Abingdon was largely completed between April 1971 and February 1973.
In combination with the move a more unified structure was introduced within JATE, and by the end of 1971 the separate identities of AATDC and ATDU had been formally discarded although the various sections remained identifiable with their earlier affiliations. Under the new structure the line up of sections comprised; Heavy Drop, Air Dispatch, Air Portability, Infantry/Signals and Training Sections (all ex-AATDC), together with Air Logistics and Aircraft Engineering sections (ATDU background), Helicopter Section (JHDU/AATDC background) and Flying Section (Hercules aircraft) which was special to JATE.
Relocation and Streamlining (RAF Brize Norton)
JATE continued with its work at Abingdon until 1974. As a result of a Government Defence Review it was decided to move JATE to RAF Brize Norton (which, in passing had had association with an earlier predecessor of ATDU and with the old AATDC). The move from Abingdon started in November 1975 and was completed in February 1976, with 31 December 1975 as the date on which Headquarters JATE was formally established at Brize Norton.
The move also led to further restructuring within JATE, resulting in the merger of certain sections with a common role and thereby leading to a more streamlined organisation with savings in manpower. Thus the Heavy Drop and Air Despatch Sections merged to form the Aerial Delivery Section and the Airportability and Logistics Sections merged under the common title of Airportability Section; at the same time the Infantry/Signals Section became simply Infantry Section, whilst retaining a signals specialist. By the end of the 1970s the Aircraft Engineering Section had shortened its title to that of Engineering Section and in due course was to include an Army Project Officer within its make up. With the entry of the Chinook helicopter into RAF service, the responsibility for helicopter internal load clearance work was transferred from the Helicopter Section to Airportability Section (hitherto concerned only with fixed-wing aircraft loads).
Finally since the start of the 1980s the post of Commandant JATE, which used to rotate between the Royal Air Force and the Army, is now permanently provided by the Army. Similarly the post of Deputy Commandant, which used to rotate on a Lt Col/Wg Cdr basis, is now held permanently by a Wing Commander of the GD Flying Branch.
Change in Command and Control (RAF Brize Norton)
In the 1990s the MoD instigated a JATE study through VCDS. One of the recommendations was that the command of JATE should be moved from the Director of Commitments to the Air Warfare Centre (AWC) under HQ Air Command.
On 1 April 1998, as a result of that study, JATE came under full command and control of AWC, RAF Waddington. To bring JATE in line with other AWC sub-units (as an Evaluation Unit not an Establishment), Commandant AWC decided that JATE would be retitled as Joint Air Transport Evaluation Unit (JATEU) with effect from 1 June 1998.
The first significant change to JATE was the downgrading in rank of the Commandant and Deputy Commandant post from Colonel to Lt Colonel and Wing Commander to Squadron Leader respectively. The two posts were retitled Commanding Officer (CO) and Second in Command (2IC). The second significant change was as part of the reorganisation the JATE Flying Section left to become part of the Hercules Operational Evaluation Unit (HOUE) at RAF Lyneham.
Change of Name
In 2007 after the results of the TESD audit, the Airborne Trails Section at the Aircraft Test and Evaluation Centre (ATEC) merged with the Airborne Trials Section at JATEU. This was done to reflect the newer Air Delivery Test and Evaluation and extant Operational Test and Evaluation roles. As a result of the merger of the two sections, JATEU changed its name to JADTEU (Joint Air Delivery Test and Evaluation Unit).
Mission Statement JADTEU's mission is "To enable the delivery by air of personnel, machines and materiel through development, trials and training, in order to enhance Defence Capability.”
Function in the MoD JATE's Original Function
JATE is responsible for the study, development and service testing of techniques and equipment for airborne assault and air transported operations. The establishment is also tasked to train instructors and key personnel of the Royal Marines, the Army and The Royal Air Force in these techniques and those connected with the ground handling of helicopters. JATE is a genuinely joint establishment controlled by, and directly responsible to, the Central Staffs of the Ministry of Defence
JATEU/JADTEU's Current Function