It was renamed as the Marine and Armament Experimental Establishment on 16 March 1920 to recognise that weapons and other equipment were evaluated as well as complete aircraft.
The Establishment's work grew during its early years and by 1930 it was carrying out acceptance tests and trials on flying boats, seaplanes, and their associated equipment and armaments.
With the start of the Second World War the Establishment was moved to the more secure and safer location of Helensburgh in Scotland, and in 1940 was put under the control of the Ministry of Aircraft Production.
From then the Establishment was responsible for testing and evaluating prototype marine craft and air-sea rescue apparatus and associated equipment to determine whether they complied with the development specifications and to advise when they could be handed over for Service trials.
[1] The MAEE was closed down in March 1956, its remaining activities being moved to the Air Ministry and the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down.