Naval Support Activity Panama City

The United States Naval Support Activity Panama City (NSA PC), is located just outside Panama City, Florida and is a United States Navy military base. It is located within Bay County. Among other commands, it houses Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) and the Navy Experimental Diving Unit (NEDU).

Naval Support Activity Panama City
Part of Navy Region Southeast
Bay County, near Panama City, Florida
Naval Support Activity Panama City in 1980
Coordinates30°10′24″N 85°45′00″W
Site information
Controlled byUnited States Navy
Site history
In use20 July 1945 - present
Garrison information
Past
commanders		CDR Jessica M. Pfefferkorn, USN
OccupantsNaval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, Navy Experimental Diving Unit, Navy Diving and Salvage Training Center, United States Coast Guard

History

The NSA PC was founded as the U.S. Navy Mine Countermeasures Station on 20 July 1945, as a result of the transfer of the test station from Solomons, Maryland, but was renamed ca. 1955 to the U.S. Navy Mine Defense Laboratory. In 1972, it was renamed the Naval Coastal Systems Laboratory which changed to Naval Coastal Systems Center in 1981. The base has been a subsidiary of several other commands in the past including Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division, and Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, under which it was designated Naval Surface Warfare Center: Coastal Systems Station. It obtained its current name in 2007 after changing from the prior command structure to the tenant command structure used by the Navy today in its command of research and development centers.

In addition to waterfront port facilities, the installation also contains a hangar and a paved heliport facility approximately 300 feet by 400 feet in size to accommodate naval helicopters up to and including the MH-53E Sea Dragon.[1] The Navy airfield identifier is NBV.

Tenant commands

NSAPC consists of several tenant command organizations:

  • Naval Surface Warfare Center: Panama City Division (NSWC PCD): This is the largest tenant command and the Research and Development arm of the base. It is part of the NAVSEA System of Naval Surface Warfare Centers.
  • Navy Experimental Diving Unit (NEDU): The Experimental Diving Unit is the evaluation facility for Navy Diving.[2]
  • Navy Diving Salvage and Training Center: The Navy Diving Salvage Training Center is the training facility for Navy Diving, Reconnaissance Marines, Army engineer divers, and Coast Guard diving. These divers are trained for such missions as wreckage recovery, mine defusing, and reconnaissance.
  • Deployable Joint Command and Control System
  • Explosive Ordnance Disposal Detachment
  • Coastal Operations Institute
  • Coast Guard Station Panama City

Research

NSWC PCD conducts research on littoral warfare and its disciplines include optics, acoustics, mine warfare and robotics. NSWC PCD employs approximately 1,100 scientists and engineers within NSWC PCD. The newest facility on the base is the Littoral Warfare Research Facility, a $10 million research and development facility dedicated to littoral warfare research; it was completed in 2006.[3]

Engineering projects of historical note include the Swimmer Delivery Vehicle, Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems (JAUS) and Landing Craft Air Cushioned (LCAC). Current projects include the majority of U.S. research into hovercraft technology and weapons integration for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS).

Geography
NSWC PCD Heliport
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
OwnerUnited States Navy
LocationPanama City, Florida, USA
Elevation AMSL10 ft / 3 m
Helipads
Number Length Surface
ft m
H1 390 119 Concrete
Statistics
Based Aircraft2 to 4

NSA PC totals 657 acres (2.66 km2) and houses 221 buildings. Additionally, NSA PC operates several miles of inter coastal waterways for a direct connection to the Gulf of Mexico.[4]

Economic impact

NSWC PCD is a major research, development, test, and evaluation laboratories of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). It is one of the largest employers in Bay County, Florida with an annual payroll of about $117 million. NSA PC employs approximately 2800 civilian and military personnel, for an annual payroll of over $150 million. NSA PC contracts services buys local goods, and maintains an active construction program. Its economic impact on Bay County is about $400 million annually.[5]

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See also

References
  1. http://www.city-data.com/airports/Coastal-Systems-Station-Heliport-Panama-City-Florida.html
  2. Carter Jr, RC (1977). "Pioneering Inner Space: The Navy Experimental Diving Unit's First 50 Years". US Navy Experimental Diving Unit Technical Report. NEDU-1-77. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
  3. "Sen. Bill Nelson Constituent Report, 2003" Page
  4. "NSA PC About" Page
  5. "NSA PC About" Page
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