USS Rancocas: The Cornfield Cruiser

USS Rancocas is the nickname of a test facility at the border between Moorestown Township and Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey. It is properly called the Vice Admiral James H. Doyle Combat Systems Engineering Development Site (CSEDS).

While not a commissioned ship in the United States Navy, it is staffed by Navy personnel. It is located between Hartford Road and County Route 537 in Moorestown and looks like a warehouse with the superstructure of a planned, but never built naval strike cruiser sitting on the roof. The design of the superstructure was later incorporated into the design of the Arleigh Burke class destroyer. It is used by Lockheed Martin for Aegis research and development, and houses not only Navy and Lockheed Martin personnel, but personnel from numerous subcontractors, such as Mission Solutions Engineering and Northrop Grumman.

Because the facility is plainly visible from Interstate 295 and the New Jersey Turnpike, it has become something of a landmark for local residents and travelers. Area residents frequently refer to it as the "Cornfield Cruiser" or "Cruiser in a Cornfield."