Naval Air Facility El Centro
| Naval Air Facility El Centro | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vraciu Field | |||||||||
| Near Seeley, California in the United States | |||||||||
Entrance sign at NAF El Centro | |||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Type | Naval Air Facility | ||||||||
| Owner | Department of Defense | ||||||||
| Operator | US Navy | ||||||||
| Controlled by | Navy Region Southwest | ||||||||
| Condition | Operational | ||||||||
| Website | Official website | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 32°49′45″N 115°40′18″W / 32.82917°N 115.67167°W | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1942 (as Marine Corps Air Station) | ||||||||
| In use | 1942 – present | ||||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||||
| Current commander | Captain William A. Perkins | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: NJK, ICAO: KNJK, FAA LID: NJK, WMO: 722810 | ||||||||
| Elevation | −12.8 metres (−42 ft) AMSL | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Source: Federal Aviation Administration | |||||||||
Naval Air Facility El Centro or NAF El Centro (IATA: NJK, ICAO: KNJK, FAA LID: NJK) is a United States Navy Naval Air Facility located approximately six miles (10 km) northwest of El Centro, in Imperial County, California. NAF El Centro is under the jurisdiction of Navy Region Southwest and serves both as temporary homeport to military units conducting air-to-air and bombing training, and as the winter training home of the Blue Angels aerobatics display team.
Founded in 1946 as Naval Air Station El Centro, the facility had previously been the site of a World War II era Marine Corps Air Station. In 1979, the facility was given its current designation as a Naval Air Facility.