Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake

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NASA satellite photo showing the main runways at NAWS China Lake

The Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake (NAWS China Lake) is an airborne weapons testing and training range operated by the United States Navy and its contractors.

It is located at 35°41′N 117°40′W / 35.683°N 117.667°W / 35.683; -117.667, in the northeast of California's Mojave Desert. The main airfield, Armitage Field, is situated several miles southeast of China Lake itself, a playa lake from which the range takes its name. It is the home base of several tenant commands, including the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD). NAWS China Lake is the US Navy's largest single holding of land, and the airspace controlled jointly by the NAWS, Edwards Air Force Base, and Fort Irwin is the largest in the Department of Defense.

Historically rich, NAWS traces its heritage to the Naval Ordnance Test Station (NOTS) established at nearby Inyokern in 1943. Since then it has been one of the US Navy's premier weapons development facilities and continues to support the US fleet.

Inventions crucial to the overall U.S. dominance of air combat is the invention of the Sidewinder missile at China Lake and to the chagrin of the Pentagon, the "China Lake Way."

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