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Why Here?

Why Here?

Navy’s F‐35 JSF Aircraft Naval Air Facility El Centro: A Strategic Location The Naval Air Facility, located about six miles west of El Centro, California is the best location for homebasing of the Navy’s seven F‐35C active‐duty squadrons and one training squadron. Here are some reasons why:

Bottom Line

The Imperial Valley’s vast unobstructed desert terrain, unique climate, limited non‐military air traffic, and its own dedicated gunnery and bombing ranges make NAF El Centro an ideal environment for aerial combat maneuvering, air‐to‐air gunnery, bombing practice and electronic warfare training. Homebasing seven F‐35C active-duty squadrons and one training squadron at NAF El Centro would provide the Navy with efficiencies not available anywhere else on the West Coast.

Efficiencies & Benefits to the Navy

  • Physical location: NAF El Centro is strategically located along the I‐8 corridor, 60 miles from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma and 110 miles from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar where the JSF aircraft will be homebased.
  • Low Level Flying: Clear weather and unobstructed terrain provides ample low‐level flying opportunities.
  • Proximity to ranges: Less than one minute flight time to “air-to-ground” ranges, less than 10minutes to live bombing ranges, less than 30 minutes to supersonic ranges (Barry Goldwater, AZ).
  • Proximity to fleet carrier operating areas: Less than 45 minutes to the fleet and off‐shore training ranges.
  • Middle East Resemblance: No other region in the United States more closely resembles the Middle East than the Imperial Valley. It’s the perfect training ground for our troops preparing for combat. Allied forces from around the world capitalize on NAF El Centro’s unique environment to practice gunnery, bombing, carrier landings and air combat. NAF El Centro Infrastructure
  • Base footprint: The base consists of 2,686 acres within the fenceline and 54,000 acres of nearby training ranges.
  • Runways: Two operating runways that support an average of 83,000 evolutions annually. The 9,500‐foot east/west runway handles 96 percent of the traffic.
  • Carrier training: Fresnel Lens Optical Landing System and lighted carrier deck landing areas on main runway for simulated aircraft carrier flight operations.

Open Spaces

  • Terrain: NAF El Centro, located in rural Imperial Valley, is surrounded by agricultural fields with minimal encroachment.
  • Expansion potential: Due to its location in the center of agricultural land, the base has tremendous potential for expansion.
  • Political climate: To preserve the mission of the base, the cities of El Centro and Imperial and the County of Imperial are working together with the Navy to create a Joint Land Use Policy that protects the base from encroachment and will identify compatible land uses.
  • Night flight training: The lack of light encroachment around the installation enhances the quality of night training and easily enables the Department of the Navy to diversify the facility’s mission.

Weather

  • Average Rainfall: Dry desert climate with average rainfall of about 2.5 inches a year.
  • Flight Days: Average 360 days a year of VFR flying conditions.
  • Blue Angels winter training: Due to NAF El Centro’s ideal flying weather, the Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron has used NAF El Centro as its winter training home for the past 44 years.

Quality of Life

  • Average home prices: The average home price in the surrounding community is just $129,900, making Imperial County a very affordable place to live.
  • Recreation: NAF El Centro offers the small town atmosphere of rural America but is within easy driving time of California’s largest playgrounds: the Pacific Ocean, San Diego, Palm Springs, the Colorado River, Imperial Sand Dunes and mountain resort communities.
  • Community support: NAF El Centro has enjoyed unparalleled community support since its establishment in 1942 as a Marine Corps Air Station.

Endorsed By

  • Congressman Bob Filner
  • Congressman Duncan D. Hunter
  • Congressman Brian Bilbray
  • Imperial County Board of Supervisors
  • City of Brawley
  • City of Calexico
  • City of Calipatria
  • City of El Centro
  • City of Imperial
  • Imperial Valley Joint Chambers of Commerce
  • El Centro Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau
  • Imperial Chamber of Commerce
  • Imperial Valley Economic Development Commission
  • Yuma Economic Development Commission
  • Navy League of the United States, Imperial Valley