Cnic // Naval Air Station Patuxent River

Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River was commissioned April 1, 1943, in an effort to centralize widely dispersed air testing facilities established during the pre-World War II years.

Spurred on by the events of World War II, the consolidation effort was swift, and farming operations at Cedar Point, Maryland were replaced by flight test operations within a year after ground was broken in 1942.
 

Rear Admiral John S. McCain, then chief of the Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics, called Patuxent River "the most needed station in the Navy" during the commissioning ceremony.

The Naval Air Test Center was established as a separate entity on June 16, 1945, organizationally dividing the test and support functions. During World War II, hundreds of combat experienced pilots arrived here to test airplanes. Formalized classroom instruction started in 1948 with the establishment of a Test Pilot Training Division.

During the Korean War, Pax was faced with developing jet aircraft and improving existing conventional weapons for the war effort. In 1953, the Tactical Test Division merged with the Service Test Division. The U.S. Naval Test Pilot School was established in 1958 and the Weapons Systems Test Division was established in 1960. Four of original seven astronauts were TPS graduates. In 1961, former Navy test pilot Alan Shepard became the first American in space.

A reorganization took place in 1975, preparing NATC for its role as the Naval Air Systems Command's principal site for development testing. The "new" NATC was comprised of Strike Aircraft, Antisubmarine Aircraft, Rotary Wing Aircraft and Systems Engineering Test directorates. The U.S. Naval Test Pilot School remained intact.

A major upgrading of test facilities began in the late 1970s. Reflecting changes spurred by this technological growth, the 1980s saw the Computer Services Directorate become the Computer Sciences Directorate, the Technical Support Directorate become the Range Directorate, and the Antisubmarine Aircraft Test Directorate become the Force Warfare Aircraft Test Directorate.

The Special Trials Facility located at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, is under the management of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division's Combatant Craft Department. It was established in 1971 to support the Surface Effects Ship Program. It currently supports a wide variety of vehicle research, development, test and evaluation projects. The site facilities, which are located on a protected harbor, include pier space, a synchrolift drydock and transfer system, high-bay boat house space, offices, shops capable of limited construction, and a variety of other support instrumentation and equipment.

Two Naval Air Warfare Centers were established to integrate sites and capabilities to improve services to the fleet and sponsors. NAWC streamlined its resources into two divisions: the Aircraft Division located here and the Weapons Division, at China Lake, Calif. The standup of the NAWC Aircraft Division at Pax River took place on January 1, 1992, and began its role as the Navy's full spectrum research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E), engineering, and fleet support center for air platforms.

Over $155 million in Military Construction has been spent for new engineering complexes and renovation of existing facilities as a result of Base Realignment and Closure actions that relocated personnel from NAWC Aircraft Division sites at Warminster, Pa., and Trenton, N.J. to Patuxent River. The Naval Air Systems Command located in Crystal City, Va., was relocated here in 1997 as a result of Base Realignment and Closure legislation.

The post-Cold War shift from the threat of nuclear superpower confrontation to regional conflicts has required the military services to redefine their roles and identify the types of weapons and platforms most effective to future success in regional conflicts. Concurrent with the rise of regional conflicts has been a trend of significant reductions in national defense spending.

The Patuxent River Complex was affected by the 1991, 1993, and 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC) decisions to relocate Naval Aviation Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) facilities from Warminster, Pennsylvania and Trenton, New Jersey and Naval Air Systems headquarters from Arlington, Virginia to the Complex. These realignments and consolidation of their assets positioned NAWCAD to carry out its mission as the Navy's principal RDT&E, engineering, and fleet support activity for Naval fixed and rotary wing aircraft and associated systems from acquisition through all life cycle phases.

The Navy relocated thousands of jobs to the Patuxent River Complex during 1993, 1995, and 1997. With the consolidation now complete, the station hosts three major Navy commands, the Naval Air Systems Command Headquarters, the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, and the Air Test Wing Atlantic. The station is also home to 52 other tenant commands and several squadrons.

With the consolidation, the Navy has become the largest employer in the community. More than 17,000 people are now stationed at the Complex. This workforce includes more than 3,000 active duty service members, approximately 6,900 civil service employees, 6,400 defense contractor employees, and 370 non-appropriated-fund employees. In addition, the station services almost 2,000 military dependents.

In response to these changes, NAWCAD recognized the need to initiate a strategic planning initiative that included the preparation of an Integrated Management Plan for the NAWCAD-controlled assets in the Patuxent River Complex. The implementation of the plan will enable the Navy to meet its commitment to conserve and protect the unique natural and cultural resources of the Patuxent River Complex and Chesapeake Bay while protecting human health and welfare. The Integrated Management Plan will provide a framework within which NAWCAD can efficiently and effectively utilize the assets under its control to meet its strategic planning initiatives while complying with applicable local, state, and Federal laws. However, prior to NAWCAD adoption of the Integrated Management Plan, compliance with NEPA is required. The preparation of an EIS will meet these NEPA requirements.

Naval Air Station Patuxent River is now known as the center of excellence for naval aviation. Pax River hosts the full spectrum of acquisition management, research and development capabilities, air and ground test and evaluation, aircraft logistics and maintenance management. This distinctive synergy supports land based and maritime aircraft and engineering, T&E, integration, and life cycle support for ship/shore electronics. These combined capabilities are unique within the Department of Defense and ensure Naval Air Station Patuxent River’s status as an aviation leader working effectively to continue progress into the 21st century.

NAS Patuxent River hosts the full spectrum of acquisition management, research and development capabilities, air and ground test and evaluation (T&E), aircraft logistics and maintenance management. This distinctive synergy supports land based and maritime aircraft and engineering, T&E, integration, and life cycle support for ship/shore electronics. These combined capabilities are unique within the Department of Defense and ensure Patuxent River's status as an aviation leader.

In addition to bringing a larger workforce to Southern Maryland, the Complex has expanded facilities in recent years. Over the past two decades, the Complex has grown to include a manned flight simulator, an aircraft anechoic chamber, an air combate environment test and evaluation facility, the Capt. Steven A. Hazelrigg Flight Test Facility, an aircraft test and evaluation facility, the U. S. Naval Test Pilot School academic building and Aviation Survival Training Center.

These new facilities have significantly improved aviation safety and the quality of naval aviation products. With the consolidated workforce and expanded facilities, the Patuxent River Naval Air Station Complex has become the place where the future of naval aviation begins.

Pre-1943 buildings still exist at the Naval Air Station, and others are interpreted through archaeological sites. Most notable of these are, Mattapany (now Quarters A) circa 1740, and Susquehanna, the site of a circa 1840 house that was moved to Henry Ford's Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan. Recently, all of Patuxent River's World War II buildings, such as airplane hangers, were evaluated for National Register eligibility.

The fundamental and inherent cultural resource management challenge of this cutting-edge testing facility is to perform the Navy mission while simultaneously preserving and promoting the station's historic context. NAS Patuxent River has historically risen to these challenges. In 1981, the first cultural resources survey was conducted at the Naval Air Station by the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT), thus initiating a proactive and productive partnership with the MHT that endures today. Maintaining and updating a complete and accurate inventory of all station cultural and historical resources is the primary emphasis of the NAS cultural resources management program.