Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, located in the western reaches of California’s Mojave Desert, is a wondrous place when it comes to military aviation and pretty much everything associated with it—and it still holds some secrets. From massive, sound-stage like missile seeker testing facilities, to rocket sleds, to electronic warfare ranges and a runway dedicated to unmanned aircraft operations, NAWS China Lake offers militaries and their associated industry partners from around the world a huge menu of testing capabilities. But above all else, NAWS China Lake’s expansive and diverse set of live-fire ranges are truly a national treasure.
It is on these ranges that the latest and greatest weapons and sensors have been tested over the better part of a century. From the advent of Sidewinder air-to-air missile in the 1950s, to the dawn of GPS guided weaponry decades later, the live-fire ranges have provided a diverse array of target types and recording capabilities to fine tune even the most outlandish tactical weaponry.
Every year these facilities bustle with activity, and much of that action is loud and explosive in nature. NAVAIR isn’t shy about touting their loud and exothermic accomplishments, hence this awesome 2016 highlight real put together to show off just a tiny bit of what China Lake weapons testers were up to last year.
The video shows all types of weapons being tested, including AGM-88 HARMs, SeaRAM fired RIM-116s, laser guided rockets, Tomahawk cruise missiles, GBU-31 JDAM, and various other munitions.
Truly explosive stuff!
Hat tip to our friend James Goodall for sending over the video. James has a new book out on Los Angeles class fast attack subs and it looks killer, make sure to check it out.
Contact the author: Tyler@thedrive.com