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Benefield Anechoic Facility (BAF) is an anechoic chamber located at the southwest side of the Edwards Air Force Base main base. It is currently the world's largest anechoic chamber. The BAF supports installed systems testing for avionics test programs requiring a large, shielded chamber with radio frequency (RF) absorption capability that simulates free space.
The facility is named after Rockwell test pilot and flight commander Tommie Douglas "Doug" Benefield who was killed in a crash 22 miles northeast of Edwards Air Force Base in the desert east of Boron on August 29, 1984 during a USAF B-1 Lancer flight test.
The BAF is a ground test facility to investigate and evaluate anomalies associated with EW systems, avionics, tactical missiles and their host platforms. Tactical-sized, single or multiple, or large vehicles can be operated in a controlled electromagnetic (EM) environment with emitters on and sensors stimulated while RF signals are recorded and analyzed. The largest platforms tested at the BAF have been the B-52 and C-17 aircraft. The BAF supports testing of other types of systems such as spacecraft, tanks, satellites, air defense systems, drones and armored vehicles.