Freeper Canteen ~ Road Trip: Naval Air Warfare Center, China Lake ~ 08 SEPT 2009

Serving The Best Troops And Veterans In The World | The Canteen Crew

[laurenmarlowe]

 

 

~The FReeper Canteen Presents~

Road Trip: Naval Air Warfare Center, China Lake, California

The Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division (NAWCWD) is an organization within the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), dedicated to maintaining a center of excellence in weapons development for the Department of the Navy (DoN). NAWCWD has two locations in Southern California; China Lake hosting the land test range and Point Mugu hosting the sea test range.

Nestled in the quiet Indian Wells Valley at the south eastern foot of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California, China Lake is the premier land range and weapons development laboratory for the Department of the Navy.

The Indian Wells Valley is south of two prominent geologic extremes in the continental United States, Mount Whitney, the highest point (14,497 ft. above sea level) and Badwater, the lowest point (282 ft. below sea level). The area was once also home to the Native American Coso People, whose presence here is marked by thousands of archaeological sites; the Coso traded with other tribes as far away as San Luis Obispo County, California.

 This locale was also a site used by European miners and settlers whose cabins and mining structures are extant throughout the Station. Among the notable archaeological sites is the National Park Service's Coso Rock Art District, an area of some 99 square miles which contains more than 20,000 documented petroglyphs.

China Lake is steeped in Naval History. In the summer of 1943 Dr. Charles C. Lauritsen of the California Institute of Technology, and Navy Commander Jack Renard, flew a small plane over the vast Mojave Desert in search of the perfect remote location to establish a "shooting range" for testing Navy missiles.

They eventually spotted a small two-way landing strip in Inyokern. The site was extremely remote, but not too far removed from Cal Tech's Pasadena base. Shortly afterwards, the Naval Ordnance Test Station (NOTS) was born.

Inventions tested and refined at China Lake include the AIM-9 Sidewinder missile, the AGM-62 Walleye TV-guided glide bomb, the AGM-45 Shrike antiradar missile, the AIM-95 Agile missile, the AGM-122 Sidearm antiradar missile, the AGM-123 Skipper II laser-guided missile, the lightstick, and the continuous-rod warhead.

Learn More About The History Of China Lake HERE!

While service to the Fleet underlies every program at NAWCWD, direct support is the most important activity at China Lake. NAWCWD Fleet Weapons Support Teams are with naval forces throughout the world providing hands-on assistance. Division senior scientists and engineers serve in 1- to 3-year assignments as on-site Science and Technology Advisors stateside, at sea, and abroad.

 New operational flight programs and weapons capabilities are taken directly to Fleet squadrons by NAWCWD teams who train aircrews and maintenance personnel aboard ship.

In times of conflict, the Division's Land, Sea, and Electronic Combat Ranges are made available to the Fleet for training, and development of urgently needed new weapons and electronic combat equipment is fast tracked. Prototype systems (such as the NAWCWD-developed Rapid Targeting System) are taken directly into world hot spots by Division teams to provide additional capabilities for the DOD warfighters.

Learn More About Naval Air Warfare Center China Lake HERE!

The U.S. Naval Museum of Armament and Technology joins only 11 others across the country in telling the story of the U.S. Navy in peace and war. The museum is a place to learn about the Navy’s precision-guided weapons essential to our nation’s defense. Visitors also learn the story of China Lake — the “secret city” that for more than 60 years has developed, tested, and evaluated many of these weapons.

Located in China Lake, the museum at China Lake, "The U.S. Naval Museum of Armament and Technology" is full of intriguing technology and fascinating history that introduces visitors to the numerous contributions China Lake and the Navy have made to the defense of the nation.

Visit The U.S. Naval Museum Of Armament And Technology HERE!

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Please remember: The Canteen is a place to honor and entertain our troops. The Canteen is family friendly. Let's have fun!

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We pray that your hope, courage, and dignity remain unbroken, so that you may show others the way.

God Bless You All ~ Today, Tomorrow and Always

 

 

[beachn4fun]

{{{{waving back}}}}

Oh, you poor thing, you had to work thru the weekend.

Whatz ya going to do today then?

[luvie]

Not much! LOL!

Go to Wattsburger for lunch and probably do a little cleaning, but I am NOT gonna do any serious work today! I’ll save that for my next day off on Thursday!

Hope you are having a great week so far!

[NRA1995]

[[[[[[[[Hugs]]]]]]]]]] hon; you going Saturday to the 9/12 event?

[unique]

I’m doing good, had a since weekend - and you?

[Kathy in Alaska]

NRA...good morning, well afternoon now...((HUGS)) Hope you had a nice Labor Day. Global warming, huh? Take care.

[NRA1995]

[[[[[[[hugs]]]]]] Kathy. Yes, we’re having global warming here; it’s only 70 degrees out. Don’t you know global warming makes things cooler?

[HiJinx]

Mornin’, Beachie!
Ah, yes, the lazy hazy days of late September - don’t ya just love ‘em?!
(snicker, snicker...)

[HiJinx]

Hey, I know where China Lake is..right next door to Ft. Irwin and the National Training Center in the middle of Death Valley. Or at least, it might as well be.

So, how come China Lake looks so much nicer?

[HiJinx]

Afternoon, LUV!
How’s your day going, so far?
Chores, or relaxing?

[HiJinx]

Hey, Kathy, did doing yesterday’s homework pay off?

[HiJinx]

Afternoon, Connie!
Is it lunchtime there?

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good afternoon, beachy. It was so nice to have some time off.

[luvie]

Hi, Jinxy!

Relaxing and reading the paper now.
Nap next.
A few well-chosen chores when I get up!

Does that sound like a day off to you?

How are you doing? Hope you are having a good week!

[HiJinx]

Sounds like a few of my days off.
I only do what I want to do, or what absolutely needs to be done!
Wish I had that luxury now, but alas, lunchtime is over and it’s time to go back to work.
See everyone some time tonight!

[HiJinx]

Oh, yeah - ‘what absolutely needs to be done’ usually means what Nana has put on her to-do list!!

C’ya!

[luvie]

....and what Nana wants...Nana gets! LOL!

See ya later, gator! Have a fine afternoon!

[AZamericonnie]

You bet it is & just sat down to have some leftover chicken.

How’s you day faring?

Looks like you have some special company & activites!

[HiJinx]

We did have...it was quite the fun weekend.
It’s all over and back to work, now.
Back to work with a vengeance, actually. I have just now found time to come up for air...!

[Tanniker Smith]

school starts in the morning?

Yup. Started today. Finally, finally, got my schedule. Mostly variations on Algebra (freshmen, repeater, extra work) with no funny subjects thrown in.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good afternoon, u...a nice Labor Day for you?

This is too cute. I sneaked a peek before I left for work.