U.S. Naval Museum of Armament and Technology

The U.S. Naval Museum of Armament and Technology at China Lake was established when the Secretary of the Navy signed out SECNAVNOTE 5755 on 12 May 2000. The museum is a showcase for past and current Center products and programs and provides an amenable environment for briefings and presentations to off-Center visitors.

The Museum contains one of the finest publicly accessible collections of tactical air weaponry and technology anywhere. The display collection ranges from WWII rockets to cutting-edge guided missiles and includes familiar items like Sidewinder, Shrike, and Tomahawk alongside weapon systems that can be seen nowhere else—Agile, ACIMD, Bulldog, and Advanced Bomb Family (to name but a few). Videos covering China Lake projects and history may be viewed there as well.

Outdoor exhibits include the Polaris missile and historically significant aircraft such as the XF4D-1, F11F, and a restored HH-1K helicopter gunship. Exhibits to be added include NTA-4F, A-7E, HH- 1K, F-111B, QF-86, DF-8L, RA-5C, AV-8A, A-6E, and F/A-18A ("Hornet 1") aircraft; several significant range instrumentation and target items; and a tribute to the Center's Search-and-Rescue (SAR) teams, including a UH-1 SAR helo.