NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER WEAPONS DIVISION, POINT MUGU, Calif. -- Adm. John Richardson, chief of naval operations, visited Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu, California, on Feb. 22.

Richardson conducted an hourlong all hands call with military and civilian personnel from across the installation. Most of the topics and questions at the all hands focused on uniformed military concerns and issues, but his tours were all focused on Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division’s electronic warfare laboratories.

During his tours, CNO visited the Clifton Evans Electronic Warfare Laboratory, where he discussed a variety of electronic warfare capabilities and integration operations with Dr. Ron Smiley, national director for Avionics, Sensors and E*Warfare, and Dr. Melissa Midzor, the EWIL Division director.

NAWCWD hosts a variety of laboratories and ranges focused on developing and refining offensive and defensive electronic warfare capabilities and products. According to Midzor, having the laboratories co-located and interconnected decreases learning times, enables real time closed loop testing and inclusion of EW in live, virtual, constructive scenarios, and overall improves NAWCWD’s ability to test and deliver EW solutions to the fleet.

The F-35 Fleet Reprogramming Laboratory was Richardson’s final stop, where he met with Dr. Andrew Chen, the laboratory’s lead.