This page is intended to provide updated information and discussion about NAWS China Lake. About NAWS China Lake
Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake is located in the Western Mojave Desert region of California, approximately 150 miles north of Los Angeles. It is the Navy’s largest single landholding, representing 38 percent of the Navy’s total land worldwide. More than 95 percent of its 1
.1-million acres has remained undisturbed during the course of NAWS' mission. The 19,600 square miles of controlled airspace at China Lake provides an unprecedented venue for integrated testing and training of today’s warfighter. NAWS China Lake supports and maintains more than 2,100 buildings and facilities, 329 miles of paved roads, and 1,801 miles of unpaved roads. The station is home to the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD), Air Test and Evaluation Squadron THREE ONE (VX-31), Air Test and Evaluation Squadron NINE (VX-9), Marine Aviation Detachment (MAD), Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit THREE (EODMU-3) detachment, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training and Evaluation Unit ONE (EOD TEU ONE) detachment, Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center Geothermal, and numerous small tenant activities. China Lake is also home to the Coso Range Canyons which contain the highest concentration of rock art in the Western Hemisphere. The world-famous Little Petroglyph Canyon was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1964. Currently public tours of the canyon are CLOSED. NAWS China Lake Command:
Commanding Officer: CAPT Jeremy Vaughan
Executive Officer: LCDR Kevin Guldner
Command Chief: CMDC Jared Eckert
