If you consider the 29 construction projects at China Lake like a football season, the South Airfield Complex ribbon on Nov. 7 cutting marks a touchdown in the championship game.

At least, that’s how Capt. Laurie Scott, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest’s commanding officer, describes it. Recovery is a team effort, and although the final projects haven’t been delivered, delivering the SAF, as it’s known, is a win worth celebrating.

Scott, who led initial planning and construction efforts to the $4 billion recovery effort, praised the integrated approach NAVFAC, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, and Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake took. He credited the team with pioneering new integrated processes that made the daunting task not only manageable, but an example to follow.

“I can’t say enough about the countless challenges the team overcame in building this program, but we were in it together from day one,” he said.

Capt. Nathan Hardy, the commanding officer of the Resident Officer in Charge of Construction China Lake, now leads the recovery efforts for NAVFAC.

“The South Airfield Complex encompasses six of the 29 projects that make up the Earthquake Recovery Program,” he said. “We broke ground in January 2021 on what was an empty 200-acre site. In just four years, we have five brand-new, world-class facilities.”

Those facilities include a new fire rescue station, air traffic control tower, two hangars – including the new home of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 31 – and a new Air Wing Integration and Interoperability Lab.

In addition to celebrating the SAF project completion, the ceremony dedicated the new lab to Robert J. “Bob” Freedman, a trailblazer in naval aviation systems integration. Freedman’s career spanned over 40 years, during which he played a vital role in shaping how the Navy integrated weapons systems with aircraft. His work set the standard for future integration projects, influencing the way systems for aircraft like the F/A-18 and AH-1 Cobra are developed and tested today.

Naming the lab after Freedman also honors his values as a leader and innovator – characteristics that form the foundation of NAWCWD’s warfighter support efforts.

“Our core values of Service, Trust, Accountability, and Respect inform all that we do. Bob Freedman lived those values. His story is defined by his service, innovative spirit, and lasting influence, all of which will be reflected in the work we will do here,” said Rear Adm. Keith Hash, NAWCWD commander.

“Today, we’re not just dedicating a new facility; we’re renewing our commitment to delivering capabilities that keep our Navy at the forefront of global defense.”

U.S. and allied forces joined academic and industry partners Sept. 17-23 to conduct Gray Flag 2024, an annual test event hosted by Naval Test Wing Pacific and VX-9 at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, California.

This year, more than 3,000 personnel from the Navy, Marine Corps, Army, and Air Force participated in Gray Flag to conduct more than 60 test initiatives. The complex event featured approximately 600 aircraft sorties and more than 26 unique systems under test on the ground.

The Point Mugu Sea Range, which is 36,000 square miles of instrumented sea and airspace operated by Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD), provided a unique location for Gray Flag's multi-domain, joint test requirements. Leveraging Live, Virtual, and Constructive test elements allowed more complicated, modern warfighting problems to be modeled, tested, and addressed during Gray Flag.

“Gray Flag 2024 was an opportunity to bring together a diverse group of participants from different branches of the military, academic partners, science and technology leaders, and allied partners,” said Naval Test Wing Pacific commodore Capt. David Halpern.

“The broad scope of participants allowed us to test and evaluate our systems and how they interact with one another in an operationally relevant environment,” he added. “This was the most expansive interoperability event to date, with the data captured informing requirements, tactics, techniques, and procedures for future kill chains.'

The inclusion of multiple allied partners during Gray Flag 2024 was critical to ensuring the test event represented how the Navy operates.

'Our nation’s success in future conflicts depends on how well we can integrate and jointly operate with our allies and partners,” said Rear Adm. Keith Hash, NAWCWD commander and Naval Air Systems Command’s Chief of Test. “The CNO said it best in NAVPLAN 2024: The U.S. Navy fights in a warfighting ecosystem. As we continue to deter aggression and protect the freedom of the seas, we aren’t operating alone. We shouldn’t test alone either.”

The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division team delivered a crucial mission data file ahead of schedule, significantly accelerating the normal production timeline to support Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). 

The mission data file, essential for F-35 Lightning II operations, provides intelligence updates and design enhancements that enable pilots to identify and counter threats in specific operational environments. Typically, the production process spans three months, incorporating intelligence updates, required fixes, and design improvements. However, when Abraham Lincoln and VMFA-314 were tasked to the 5th Fleet earlier than expected, the NAWCWD team, in collaboration with Air Force partners, swiftly expedited the process and completed the task in just six weeks to ensure the squadron’s readiness in theater. 

“Our team worked with focused intensity to meet the goal of delivering the mission data file as soon as possible,” said Cmdr. Alexander Sandroni, Commanding Officer of the 513th Electronic Warfare Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base. “We even cut five days off our timeline to release the file before Labor Day weekend. The process highlighted the importance of open communication and adapting dynamically to the needs of our customers.” 

The accelerated timeline required close coordination between all team members. By working together across multiple disciplines, they were able to overcome technical challenges and ensure a successful MDF release. 

“Our engineers, testers, and fleet support team compressed a three-month effort into six weeks,” Sandroni said. “Their collaboration allowed us to deliver the file just two weeks after the squadron’s arrival in theater.” 

Rear Adm. Keith A. Hash, commander of NAWCWD, praised the team’s quick response and mission-critical support. 

“The team’s commitment and professionalism were evident throughout this process,” Hash said. “Their ability to accelerate production ensured that our warfighters had the tools they needed, right when they needed them. This type of responsiveness keeps our fleet ready for operational demands.” 

The success of this effort resulted from a joint collaboration of Navy and Air Force personnel, as well as civilian contractors. The team responsible for producing the file included intelligence experts, engineers, testers, and data analysts from both services. 

Several key contributors played a pivotal role in the delivery. Greg Francis ensured the encryption and packaging of the files, while the test team, including Jazmine Travis, Kayla Rynes, John Siverd, and Matt Schmeiser, overcame technical challenges in the lab to complete rigorous testing. Additionally, Mike Davis resolved a throttle grip issue, ensuring the MDF’s timely release. 

“The dedication, technical expertise, and commitment of our team were evident every step of the way,” Sandroni added. “They showed how much we can accomplish when we come together with a shared mission.” 

The MDF, which incorporated over 100 intelligence updates and design features, enhanced the F-35’s capabilities in terms of survivability and lethality, ensuring VMFA-314’s readiness to support operations in the 5th Fleet. 

“This mission data file is more than just a product; it’s a lifeline for the warfighters who rely on accurate, real-time information to accomplish their mission,” Hash emphasized. “Delivering these critical capabilities is how we ensure our fleet remains ready and effective in any theater.” 

The timely delivery underscores NAWCWD’s essential role in providing innovative solutions and fleet support, enabling the Navy to stay ahead in a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive global environment. 

Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division recognized more than 100 teammates for their dedication and technical expertise during the 2024 NAWCWD Honorary Awards ceremonies on Sept. 30 in Point Mugu and Oct. 3 in China Lake, California. 

Since establishing the Dr. L.T.E. Thompson Memorial Award in 1956, NAWCWD has recognized the exceptional contributions of its workforce, creating a lasting legacy of innovation and dedication. Over the years, additional awards have been introduced to honor those who have significantly impacted fields like spectrum warfare, energetics, and electronic warfare. These honors reflect the continuous drive to advance NAWCWD's capabilities to meet the evolving needs of the fleet, ensuring NAWCWD remains a leader in delivering critical warfighting capabilities. 

In his opening remarks, Rear Adm. Keith Hash highlighted how NAWCWD's mission directly supports the Navy's strategic objectives outlined in the CNO's Navigation Plan. He discussed the plan's focus on readiness and the importance of a long-term warfighting edge. 

“The NAVPLAN focuses on enhancing the Navy’s contribution to the joint warfighting ecosystem, and NAWCWD is critical to that effort,” Hash said. “Our team’s work in advancing the development of capabilities like long-range fires, operational architecture, and autonomous systems is central to ensuring the fleet is ready today and in the future.” 

Rich Burr, director of Point Mugu Sea Range, also highlighted the importance of the awardees’ contributions. 

“As you listen to the achievements being honored today, take a moment to reflect on how they align with the key areas driving our success,' Burr said. 'From advancing capabilities like long-range fires to enhancing how we train and communicate, the work recognized here today keeps us at the forefront of solving the critical challenges the fleet faces. It’s all about maintaining our ability to shoot, deny, maneuver, defend, and sustain — ensuring that we stay ahead of any potential threats.” 

NAWCWD Business Management Excellence Award 

John Faria and Pamela Hom are this year’s individual recipients of the NAWCWD Business Management Excellence Award. The award highlights exceptional achievements in business fields that support NAWCWD’s mission, such as finance, human capital management, contracts, information technology, security, and legal services. 

CAPT Kenneth A. Walden Memorial Award 

Capt. Kenneth A. Walden was known for guiding others to achieve key technical and operational objectives at Point Mugu. In recognition of individuals who have made strides in their professional growth and contributions to mission success, the Capt. Kenneth A. Walden Memorial Award was presented to Eric Abercrombie, David Ball, John Bell, Thomas Dorfmeister, Dessarae Mahoney, John Sontag, James Witt, Mario Vargas and Nicasio “Nick” Yniguez Jr. this year. 

Commander Clifton Evans Jr. Memorial Award 

The Commander Clifton Evans Jr. Memorial Award, which recognizes advancements in Spectrum Warfare, was presented to Ellie Avery, Brandon Einfeldt, Jack Hjort, Brian Lau and Dr. Mason Paulec. Commander Evans played a pivotal role in establishing electronic warfare systems at Point Mugu in the 1940s and 1950s. His leadership in creating the Countermeasures Division led to Point Mugu becoming the charter location for Naval Air Electronic Warfare Systems in 1968. This award recognizes civilian and military personnel at NAWCWD for outstanding contributions in Spectrum Warfare, including Spectrum Management, Electronic Combat, and Defensive and Offensive Electronic Attack capabilities, continuing Evans’ legacy of innovation in electronic warfare. 

Dr. L.T.E. Thompson Memorial Award 

Recognized for their achievements, Marc Cope, Gregory Glen, and Daniel Radke were awarded the Dr. L.T.E. Thompson Memorial Award. Dr. Thompson was instrumental in assembling a highly effective team at China Lake, driving the center’s early success in ordnance development. This award, established in 1956, represents the highest level of individual achievement at NAWCWD. 

Dr. Twain C. Lockhart Memorial Award 

Marissa Bell, Daniel Bukowski, Robert Navarro and Richard Thorp were this year’s recipients of the Dr. Twain C. Lockhart Memorial Award. This award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of target systems, a field that Dr. Lockhart helped revolutionize at NAWCWD. His leadership was instrumental in advancing the design and operation of targets that replicate realistic threats, a legacy continued by this year’s honorees. 

Elizabeth “Lisa” Alonzo Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Memorial Award 

Lily Gonzalez and Beth Lovelace were recognized with the Elizabeth “Lisa” Memorial Award. The award, named after Lisa Alonzo, who championed equal opportunity throughout her career at Point Mugu, celebrates individuals who have made a meaningful difference in advancing the organization’s EEO and diversity initiatives. 

Dr. William B. McLean Award 

The Dr. William B. McLean Award was established in 1968 to recognize Dr. McLean's contributions as technical director at China Lake from 1954 to 1967 and to celebrate his legacy as a visionary leader. Dr. McLean's 18 patents and numerous inventions illustrate the spirit of innovation this award celebrates. It recognizes individuals like Dr. McLean who turn imagination into solutions that make a real impact on NAWCWD's mission. This year's recipients are Dr. Ralf Haiges and D. Reed Robinson. 

Gwendolyn Elliot Hunt Memorial Award 

The Gwendolyn Elliot Hunt Memorial Award honors the legacy of its namesake, a charismatic leader and technical professional recognized for her ability to rise to every challenge. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant strides in personal growth, academic success, and career advancement, resulting in their promotion or placement in leadership, supervisory, or managerial roles within NAWCWD. This year's honorees are Joel Huddleston, Aleta Johnson, Cory Scott and Caroline Weinstein. 

Dr. Charles C. Lauritsen Memorial Award 

Spencer Chandler, Blake McCracken and Thao Tran-Ngo received the Dr. Charles C. Lauritsen Memorial Award. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to energetic materials, ordnance, propulsion, and fusing. These fields are vital to naval warfare. Dr. Charles C. Lauritsen played a crucial role in developing the first air-launched rockets and established the China Lake Propulsion Laboratories, marking the beginning of the rocket age in naval warfare. He also helped to create the civilian-military team concept in the Navy lab structure. 

Dr. Manuel A. Garcia Award 

The Dr. Manuel A. Garcia Award recognizes civilian employees who saw a need and stepped up to make improvements to the processes and execution of weapon systems test and evaluation. Dr. Garcia, a leading figure in simulated modeling for weapon systems in the 1960s and 70s, fostered a culture that appreciated individual contributions and recognized the importance of education. This year's recipients are Timothy Bennicoff, Eric Burkhardt, Curtis Davis, Owen Finch, Mark Henthorn, John Hudock, Nhon Huynh, Martin Krammer, Jack Loui, Joshua McDonald, Todd Standard and Dr. Joshua Wilkerson. 

Michelson Laboratory Award 

The Michelson Laboratory Award, established in 1966, recognizes individuals for significant achievements in leadership that advance NAWCWD's mission or for major contributions to solving technical challenges in ordnance development, test and evaluation. This year's honorees are John Allred, Steven Griffin, Murlyn McGowan, Ejinia Najera-Niesen, Sean Smith, Iris Stockbauer, Victor Walkling, Gary Wu and Scott Wyatt. 

Business Management Excellence Team Award 

The rapid Business Operations Management Team received the Business Management Excellence Team Award. The award goes to a team that has made major improvements to analytical tools, producing data that drives action. The team upgraded dashboards to connect automatically to the data warehouse, removing the need for manual work and logging into other systems for reports. They also created quick training in business operations management, tailored by skill level. This included training for dashboards and on-demand support. The team noted this approach as a best practice during the 2023 analytics, visualization, and data management inspection. The emphasis on using technology and data helps to ensure the warfighter maintains a strategic advantage. 

Team members include: Anjel Avitia, Darrin Boston, Kelly Dombrosky, Rochelle Fulton, Aaron Habana, Darlene McGonagle, Marinela Sanchez and Dennis Wu. 

Warfighter Support Awards 

The Naval Strike Missile Team was recognized for providing exceptional support to the operational fleet and warfighting forces, significantly improving the Navy's capabilities. The team conducted the fourth guided flight test of the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, where Marine Corps operators loaded, emplaced, and conducted firing operations for two Naval Strike Missiles for the first time. This accomplishment is paramount in delivering the latest lethal capability to our warfighters and meeting the requirements set forth by the U.S. Marine Corps' Force Design 2030. 

Team members are Maureen Castruccio, Christopher Costoso, Nelson David, Michael Derkey, Matthew Gulart, Kevin Johnson, Samantha Martino, Annabelle Martino, Ryan Martin, Michael McDaniel, Jennifer Schroeder, Stephen Stange, Gavin Swanson and Touchy Yang. 

The Weapons Component Engineering and Test Branch received recognition for their dedicated and innovative support to U.S. and allied Warfighters. As part of integrating, validating, and testing a mobile ground-launched AIM-9M, a team of engineers and technicians from the branch developed a motor fire simulator, a Sidewinder AIM-9M simulator, and support equipment. This team coordinated efforts with multiple stakeholders to successfully integrate a complete ground-launch system comprised of munitions, a mobile launch pad, and a radar system. They accomplished this on an extremely aggressive schedule, taking the effort from concept to live-fire testing in only five months. Within three weeks after testing and training in Camp Atterbury, the Ukrainian Air Force deployed the platform in theater and recorded its first successful engagement against a hostile target. 

Team members include: Shaun Hull, Kyle Donohue, Christian Moreno, Braian Lopez, David Smith, Richard Marvin, Antonio Ramirez, Steven Schwade and Casey Carr. 

The NAWCWD Low Speed Aerial Target (LSAT)-Small Team provided Phantom 4 quadcopter systems for familiarization and training in counter-unmanned aircraft system encounters at sea. This team has shown outstanding dedication to enhancing warfighter training capabilities through these specific targets. They transitioned the program from a Naval Innovative Science and Engineering Program to a self-sufficient, fleet-funded initiative, showcasing their technical skills, innovation, and dedication. The team also delivered programmatic, technical, and fiscal management support for the Low Speed Aerial Target-Small initiative. 

Team members include: Peter Pena, Jason Vernon and Dustin Bell. 

The Point Mugu Sea Range Test Conductor Team accomplished a remarkable milestone in 2023, conducting a record 365 operational main events. This reflects a 15.5% boost in productivity and a 20% rise in complexity compared to last year, achieved with no mishaps. The team carefully managed every detail of these events, from planning to operational briefings, to ensure they met all requirements and achieved program objectives. They were also responsible for making the final launch decisions and issuing critical commands for each operation at the Point Mugu Sea Range. This exceptional support greatly boosted warfighter capabilities and earned praise from fleet operational leadership. 

Team members include: Samuel Simmons, Nicholas Martin, Jose Moran, Bryon Simpson, Payman Moghaddas, Curtis Kanzaki, Michael Saadati, Kevin Priest, Armando Villagomez, Ramon Winston and David (Joel) Shaw. 

The Electronic Warfare (EW) Support Equipment System (SE SYS) Team exemplified the Naval Air Systems Command's vision, mission, and core values through its professionalism, commitment, and support to the Assault Survivability Equipment Readiness Team. By advancing naval aviation solutions, they commit to keeping warfighters one step ahead of current and future threats. The team's contributions support NAWCWD's mission by providing warfighters with decisive advantages through effective solutions for sustaining NAVAIR platforms on the flight line, ensuring mission readiness, and supporting electronic warfare systems. 

Team members include: Frank Datello, Nathaniel Quijano, Vanessa Silva, Kristi Yoshikawa and Sergio Villa.