The Center for Aircraft Structural Life Extension (CAStLE) serves the USAFA Department of Engineering Mechanics, the US Air Force, and the greater aerospace and structural community through research and education in the area of structural integrity and structural life extension. CAStLE is the largest research center located at the United States Air Force Academy and conducts approximately $30M in annual research, serving such customers as the KC-135 Program Office, the Office of the Secretary of Defense Corrosion Policy and Oversight Office, the T-38 ASIP Office, the US Coast Guard, and the Air Force Research Laboratory. CAStLE also conducts cooperative research projects with private firms, non-profit research organizations and universities.

CAStLE brings together full-time engineers, laboratory technicians, USAFA faculty, and cadets to provide structural-integrity technology to the Air Force, to the DoD, and to the greater structural community. The center examines issues such as fatigue, fracture, corrosion, advanced materials, damage tolerance, bonded repair techniques, and flight data acquisition for aircraft loading history, all to provide the Air Force or other end-users with a more robust fleet, enhanced structural integrity, or a better understanding of structural aging.