About NAWCWD
Mission
We deliver integrated and interoperable warfighting capabilities through cutting-edge research, development, test, evaluation, and sustainment to provide the warfighter the decisive advantage.
Vision
To give warfighters the very best to win today, tomorrow and into the future.
Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division is an organization within Naval Air Systems Command dedicated to maintaining a center of excellence in weapons development for the Department of the Navy. NAWCWD primarily operates in two Southern California locations: China Lake and Point Mugu.
NAWCWD boasts a variety of state-of-the-art and one-of-a-kind laboratories and facilities that enable us to deliver unparalleled weapons research, development, acquisition, test, and evaluation for our nation's warfighters, and we offer 24/7 warfighter support to ensure the on-the-ground service member has the support they need to defend our nation at home and at sea.
China Lake
NAWCWD's China Lake location, located 150 miles north of Los Angeles in California’s Mojave Desert, has unique geography and unencroached airspace and more than 1.1 million acres of Land Ranges that provide unmatched conditions for developing and testing weapon systems and exploring tactics for desert and mountain environments.
Established in 1943, China Lake develops and supports new and existing weapons systems through its collocated laboratories, Land Ranges, test squadrons, and world-class science, engineering and acquisition personnel. The site also supports training and tactics development and offers year-round, operational and logistics support to the fleet.
For more than 80 years, China Lake has been a leader in research, development, test, and evaluation of guided missiles, advanced weapons and weapons systems.
For more about the installation itself, visit the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake homepage.
Point Mugu
Point Mugu manages the Point Mugu Sea Range and serves as the Navy’s center of electronic warfare expertise. NAWCWD provides logistics and in-service support for guided missiles, free-fall weapons, targets, support equipment, crew systems and electronic warfare.
Point Mugu was established in 1946 as the Navy's first instrumented missile test sea range. It offers enormous geographic diversity: vast ocean, deep water ports, protected islands within restricted air space. The 36,000 square-mile sea range, which includes San Nicolas Island, supports both developmental and operational test and evaluation of missiles, free-fall weapons and electronic warfare systems.
Point Mugu supports the fleet electronic warfare community from concept development to year-round operational support. They also support fleet training and tactics development, particularly large scale, major exercises, including fleet battle experiments on the Point Mugu Sea Range.
Our facilities are located at Naval Base Ventura County, which is located approximately 60 miles west of downtown Los Angeles.