The US Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) has inaugurated the new Range Control Complex at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in California.
The facility, which opened on 23 September 2025, was delivered by the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Southwest (NAVFAC Southwest) and its Resident Officer in Charge of Construction China Lake.
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The complex comprises four distinct facilities. The include the Range Control Center, Range Engineering and Operations Building, Range Instrumentation Support Facility, and the Range Fire Control/Missile Assembly Building.
These facilities are designed to enhance command, control, and coordination across China Lake’s extensive 1.1 million acres of ranges.
The $242m project aims to restore and modernise capabilities that were lost during the Ridgecrest earthquakes in July 2019.
NAVFAC Southwest commanding officer captain Cathy Eyrich said: “This project showcases NAVFAC Southwest’s drive to seek innovation at each step of these complex, technically demanding facilities, while remaining on schedule and to the highest of standards.
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By GlobalData“The Range Control Complex is a tangible demonstration of how NAVFAC enables the Navy’s operational mission through construction, engineering and contracting.”
The Range Control Center supports approximately 2,000 test events annually and is expected to facilitate 27,000 training sorties for Navy and Air Force pilots each year.
The facility is the “nerve centre” of the ranges, NAWCWD Ranges/Targets Operations and Labs Group director Tom Dowd said.
During the opening ceremony, the control centre was dedicated to Rear Adm. William S. “Deak” Parsons.
Parsons is known for his contributions to the Manhattan Project, as well as in establishing and expanding the range at what is now China Lake.
NAWCWD commander Rear Admiral Keith Hash said: “Here at China Lake, Deak is remembered as the godfather of the Naval Ordnance Test Station. He pushed for more land and more range space. He secured the resources and the trust that allowed Naval Ordnance Test Station to grow into a world-class centre for research, development, testing, and evaluation.”
