Naval Air Facility El Centro

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Naval Air Facility El Centro
Vraciu Field
Near Seeley, California in the United States
US Naval Air Facility El Centro entrance sign in March 2016.JPG
Entrance sign at NAF El Centro
Naf-el-centro-logo.jpg
NAF El Centro is located in the United States
NAF El Centro
NAF El Centro
Location in the United States
Coordinates32°49′45″N 115°40′18″W / 32.82917°N 115.67167°W / 32.82917; -115.67167Coordinates: 32°49′45″N 115°40′18″W / 32.82917°N 115.67167°W / 32.82917; -115.67167
TypeNaval Air Facility
Site information
OwnerDepartment of Defense
OperatorUS Navy
Controlled byNavy Region Southwest
ConditionOperational
WebsiteOfficial website
Site history
Built1942 (1942) (as Marine Corps Air Station)
In use1942 – present
Garrison information
Current
commander		Captain William A. Perkins
Airfield information
IdentifiersIATA: NJK, ICAO: KNJK, FAA LID: NJK, WMO: 722810
Elevation−12.8 metres (−42 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
08/26 2,896.5 metres (9,503 ft) Porous European Mix
12/30 2,080.2 metres (6,825 ft) Porous European Mix
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

Naval Air Facility El Centro or NAF El Centro (IATA: NJK, ICAO: KNJK, FAA LID: NJK) is a United States Navy Naval Air Facility located approximately six miles (10 km) northwest of El Centro, in Imperial County, California. NAF El Centro is under the jurisdiction of Navy Region Southwest and serves both as temporary homeport to military units conducting air-to-air and bombing training, and as the winter training home of the Blue Angels.

Founded in 1946 as Naval Air Station El Centro, the facility had previously been the site of a World War II era Marine Corps Air Station. In 1979, the facility was given its current designation as a Naval Air Facility.

History[]

In 1941 the Civil Aviation Authority offered to replace the small airport in Imperial, California with a larger complex consisting of two 4,500ft runways. After the outbreak of World War II, the Navy leased the new airport and an adjacent 749 acres for additional construction. During this time the runways were extended and a third one was added.[2] The expansion of MCAS El Centro was done by Vinson & Pringle and Del E. Webb Construction Company out of Phoenix, Arizona.[3] MCAS El Centro was commissioned on July 23, 1943.[4] During the war the air station was used as a training base for new squadrons and as a facility for squadrons returning from overseas to reorganize and begin preparing to deploy again. On March 15, 1945 a Marine Corps Aerial Gunnery School was opened. MCAS El Centro was decommissioned on May 1, 1946, the same day it was taken over by the Navy for use as a Naval Air Station.[2] Through the years, Navy El Centro has had several names: Naval Air Facility, Naval Auxiliary Landing Field, Naval Air Station, and the National Parachute Test Range.

For the first 35 years, the mission of NAF El Centro was devoted to aeronautical escape system testing, evaluation, and design. In November 1947, the Parachute Experimental Division from Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey moved to El Centro. In 1951, the Joint Parachute Facility was established and consisted of the Naval Parachute Unit and the U.S. Air Force's 6511th Test Group (Parachute). The Air Force remained part of El Centro's test organization for the next 27 years.

Current operations[]

The facility has two operating runways. The 9,503-foot (2,897 m) east–west runway handles 96 percent of the traffic.[5] It is equipped with a fresnel lens optical landing system (FLOLS) at each approach end, as well as lit carrier flight deck landing areas at both ends, so pilots can simulate carrier landings.

Apart from "touch and go" landings and take-offs, aircrews use the many ranges at NAF El Centro to develop their skills. A remote-controlled target area allows naval aviators and naval flight officers to practice ordnance delivery. The desert range is used for air-to-ground bombing, rocket firing, strafing, dummy drops and mobile land target training. The target complex uses the Weapons Impact Scoring System that microwaves target images to a range master control building for immediate verification of weapons delivery accuracy.

The addition of the Display and Debriefing Subsystem, known as DDS, expanded the role of NAF El Centro to include air combat training by utilizing remote television, acoustical and laser scoring systems. The DDS is linked with the Tactical Air Crew Training System (TACTS) to provide a computerized record of the tactics employed by individual aircrews to employ and to evaluate the effectiveness of each maneuver.

The facility is also home to the British Joint Helicopter Force (US) which is part of Joint Helicopter Command.

Air show[]

NAF El Centro is the winter home of the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, The Blue Angels. NAF El Centro historically kicks off the Blue Angels' season with their first air show, traditionally held in March.

Popular culture[]

Much of the movie Jarhead was filmed around El Centro, and many of the extras from the movie were from NAF El Centro.

In the beginning of the 1990 movie Revenge, Kevin Costner is an F-14 pilot stationed at El Centro.

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ FAA Airport Form 5010 for NJK PDF
  2. ^ a b Shettle 2001, pp. 65–66.
  3. ^ "O.K.". Imperial Valley Press. El Centro, CA. 1943-03-10. p. 3.
  4. ^ Rottman 2002, pp. 414.
  5. ^ "NAF El Centro – GMAP.NL". gmap.nl. Retrieved 2019-12-22.

References[]

Books
  • Rottman, Gordon L. (2002). U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle – Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0313319065.
  • Shettle, M. L. (2001). United States Marine Corps Air Stations of World War II. Bowersville, Georgia: Schaertel Publishing Co. ISBN 0-9643388-2-3.
Websites

External links[]

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