Naval Air Station Patuxent River

"Pax River" redirects here. For the river, see Patuxent River.

Naval Air Station Patuxent River , also known as NAS Pax River, is a United States Naval Air Station located in St. Mary's County, Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Patuxent River. It is home to the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, and serves as a center for test and evaluation and systems acquisition relating to Naval Aviation. Commissioned on April 1, 1943 on land largely acquired through eminent domain, the air station grew rapidly in response to World War II.

The base became a center for testing as several facilities were constructed throughout the 1950s and 1960s; including the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School (1958), the Weapons Systems Test Division (1960), and the Propulsion System Evaluation Facility. The base also served as the testing facility for the V-22 Osprey.

Since the end of the Cold War, the Navy's Base Realignment and Closure measures have migrated research and testing facilities for both rotary and fixed-wing aircraft to NAS Patuxent River from decommissioned bases. The complex now hosts over 17,000 people, including active-duty service members, civil-service employees, defense contractor employees, and military dependents.

NAS Patuxent River is home to the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Headquarters, the Air Test Wing Atlantic, and the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Commands.

It was used as a filming location for the Harrison Ford movie Random Hearts...
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