Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster

Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster was a U. S. Navy military installation located in Warminster, Pennsylvania and Ivyland, Pennsylvania. For most of its existence (1949–1993), the base was known as the Naval Air Development Center (NADC) Warminster, but it has also been referred to as Johnsville Naval Air Development Center, NADC Johnsville or simply, Johnsville.

In 1944, the US Navy took over the lease of the property of the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation following a period of mismanagement of the company and its inability to meet Navy contracts for the war effort. The Brewster Buccaneer dive bomber was produced by Brewster at this location, which was known as Brewster Field. Following the US Navy takeover, the site was known as the Naval Aircraft Modification Unit (NAMU). It was considered a branch of the Naval Air Material Center (NAMC). NRaD Warminster Detachment ultimately relocated to San Diego when the base closed on 30 September 1996. NADC Code 40 and subsequently NRaD Warminster Detachment Code 30 operated several facilities including the GPS Central Engineering Activity (CEA) and a large, dome shaped, underground facility (Inertial Navigation Facility). This facility performed the engineering functions associated with Inertial Navigational Equipment, including gyroscopes, used for inertial navigation systems on military aircraft and submarines. While the GPS CEA currently operates out of San Diego, CA, the underground inertial facility is maintained and operated by the Penn State Applied Research Lab (ARL). The 8000 feet (2438 m) runway at the base was able to accommodate the C 5 Galaxy military cargo aircraft.

The former Center is now home to an industrial park, Warminster Community Park, a housing development, the new Bucks County morgue crime lab, Ann's Choice, a senior citizens' housing complex, a Costco and the IHG hotel "Holiday Inn Express". Stormtracker6, the Doppler weather radar for WPVI is also located there. While once part of the EPA's superfund list, the US Navy has completed all cleanup activities at the former base. In 2014, the Warminster Municipal Authority issued a public notice stating that groundwater contamination has been identified on and in the area for the former NAWC site and shut down two supply wells as result of the contamination until further notice. The water is contaminated with perfluorooctanesulfonic acid. Contamination was detected in other wells but not above the EPA's provisional Health Advisory Level.

Since Johnsville possessed the world's largest human centrifuge, capable of spinning a person to at least 16g, (42g max 19g/s onset) it was used for astronaut training. The centrifuge was later used for flight simulation where it could simulate 6 degrees of freedom with g loading. The F 14 flat spin on takeoff issue was investigated and resolved on the DFS centrifuge. Later endeavors included supine seat experiments, G Tolerance Improvement Program (GTIP), and F/A 18 simulation. The DFS centrifuge building (formerly building 70) has been refurbished as a museum, office space and a theater.