The U.S. Navy has opened a new facility at San Nicolas Island that doubles its capacity to launch supersonic targets for training and weapons testing on the Point Mugu Sea Range.
Leaders from the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD), joined by counterparts from the Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, and Naval Base Ventura County, cut the ribbon on the new high explosive magazine (HEM) on August 20.
The GQM-163A Supersonic Sea Skimming Target, operated by NAWCWD’s Threat/Target Systems Department, is designed to replicate maneuvering missile threats faced by the fleet. Two launchers at San Nicolas Island can now fire up to four of the nearly 20-foot-long targets simultaneously, allowing sailors to train in more complex scenarios involving multiple incoming weapons.
“The threat environment is changing every day, and we must change and grow with it,” said Rear Adm. Keith Hash, NAWCWD commander. “Being able to present multiple, realistic threats is critical to ensure we deliver our warfighters a decisive advantage so they can deter aggression and, if necessary, win in conflict and return home safely.”
Capt. Anthony Holmes, commanding officer for NSWC-PHD, underscored the operational importance. “For the past two years, our surface Navy has been taking the fight, taking the shots, on the other side of the world,” he said. “Our warfighters are being asked to fight and use their ships and weapons in ways they never thought they would.”
The new HEM, completed in June and certified for explosives safety on August 13, pairs with a missile assembly building that opened in December 2022. Together, the facilities allow NAWCWD to build and store eight GQM-163 targets every eight weeks, compared to a previous capacity of four.
Kevin Gross, director of the Threat/Target Systems Department, explained the program’s evolution. “We started this project in 2016 when PEO (IWS) came to us looking to do 30-plus launches a year. At the time, our assembly buildings could only build two each – so a maximum of four,” he said. He credited funding support from OPNAV N94 for making the expansion possible.
With the new storage facility, the command can now stage up to 10 assembled targets and boosters at once, significantly reducing preparation timelines. Crews can conduct two quad launches within 24 hours, with two backup targets ready to launch.
“The Range is so valuable to the Surface Navy and the Navy writ large. Threats are getting more complex, and the expanded capabilities this new facility brings are critical to ensuring our Sailors are ready to face them,” Capt. Holmes said.
Naval Base Ventura County, which encompasses Point Mugu, Port Hueneme, and San Nicolas Island, serves as home to three warfare centers. Capt. Daniel Brown, NBVC commanding officer, described the partnerships as essential.
“The unique capabilities here at NBVC are force multipliers that ensure our Navy’s research and development, test and training, and deployable forces are equipped to meet today’s needs and tomorrow’s challenges,” he said.
The new facility is already operational and will be in use this fall as fleet training intensifies. Navy leaders say the ability to simulate multiple supersonic threats on the nation’s largest instrumented overwater test range strengthens readiness for an increasingly complex global threat environment.
