Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster was a U.S. Navy military installation located in Warminster, Pennsylvania and Ivyland, Pennsylvania. For most of its existence (1944–1996), the base was known as the Naval Air Development Center, Johnsville, NADC, or simply, Johnsville.HistoryEarly historyThe U.S. Navy purchased the grounds to establish this facility from the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation following its bankruptcy in the 1940s. The Brewster Buccaneer dive bomber was produced by Brewster at this location. It was named Brewster Field. After the US Navy took over in 1944, It was renamed NAMU (Naval Manufacturing Unit Johnsville). It was a modification center for fleet aircraft before joining the fleet. Wing panels for PBY's were manufactured here for assembly on planes at Mustin Field at the Philadelphia Naval Aircraft factory. The famous Chance Vought F4U Corsair was also modified here, with the Brewster F3A version being built here during WW2. It was renamed a Naval Air Development Center in 1952. The facility played an important role in Project Mercury.Base closureThe base was closed by the federal government Base Realignment and Closure action in the 1990s and most of its operations were transferred to Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Lexington Park, Maryland. In 1992, as part of the BRAC, the NADC Navigation Department (Code 40) was transferred to NCCOSC (Naval Command, Control and Ocean Surveillance Center) Research, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) Division San Diego, CA. NRaD Warminster Detachment ultimately relocated to San Diego when the base closed on 30 September 1996.
