China Lake Museum

China Lake Museum
	Location within California
Former name	U.S. Naval Museum of Armament and Technology
Established	2000
Location	Ridgecrest, California
Coordinates	35°37′48″N 117°40′06″W / 35.6299°N 117.6682°W
Type	Military museum
Website	www.chinalakemuseum.org

The China Lake Museum is a military museum in Ridgecrest, California focused on the history of Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake and the development of naval aviation armament and technology.

History

The museum originated with single room at the Weapons Exhibit Center in 1955. The collection was expanded in 1963, but began to deteriorate ten years later due to the expansion of a lab. A man named Milt Burford began efforts to expand the collection again in 1989 and four years after that the China Lake Museum Foundation was established. The organization was officially recognized as the U.S. Naval Museum of Armament & Technology in May 2000.^[1] However, in Fall 2011, the museum announced it would no longer be part of the Navy museum system and would change its name to the China Lake Museum.^[2]

Move

Plans to move the museum to the adjoining city of Ridgecrest to improve public access were announced in April 2017. The first phase involved the construction of a parking lot and 2,880 sq ft (268 m²) modular building.^[3] Five years later, the museum revealed it had received approval for a second phase with a 7,200 sq ft (670 m²) building.^[4]

Collection

Aircraft on display

Munitions on display

References

^ "Museum Facts" (PDF). U.S. Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. 18 February 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2010. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "The China Lake Museum of Armament and Technology is to Become the China Lake Museum" (PDF), The China Laker, vol. 17, no. 4, p. 5, Fall 2011, retrieved 12 December 2023
^ Mayer, Steven (9 April 2017). "China Lake Museum Moving from Naval Base to Ridgecrest". Bakersfield.com. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "County Approves New Phase 2 Building Plans!". China Lake Museum Foundation. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "F11-1F Super Tiger". China Lake Museum Foundation. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "Hornet 1". China Lake Museum Foundation. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "T-39". China Lake Museum Foundation. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "AGM-45 Shrike Antiradiation Missile". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "AGM-53 Condor". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "Walleye". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 3 October 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "AGM-65 Maverick". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 23 May 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "AGM-83 Bulldog". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 28 November 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "SLAM-ER". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "AGM-88 HARM". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "AGM-122 Sidearm". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "AGM-136 Tacit Rainbow". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "AGM-154 JSOW". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "AIM-9 Sidewinder". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "AIM-54 Phoenix". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 21 October 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "ASM-2 Bat". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "Tomahawk". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "APAM CBU-59". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "CBU-78/B GATOR". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 7 November 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "Laser-Guided Bomb LGB-24B/B". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "FatMan- Mark IV". China Lake Museum Foundation. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "Rockeye II Mark 20". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^ "Mark 80 Series General Purpose Bombs". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

External links

[1] "Museum Facts" (PDF). U.S. Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. 18 February 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2010. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[2] "The China Lake Museum of Armament and Technology is to Become the China Lake Museum" (PDF), The China Laker, vol. 17, no. 4, p. 5, Fall 2011, retrieved 12 December 2023

[3] Mayer, Steven (9 April 2017). "China Lake Museum Moving from Naval Base to Ridgecrest". Bakersfield.com. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[4] "County Approves New Phase 2 Building Plans!". China Lake Museum Foundation. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[5] "F11-1F Super Tiger". China Lake Museum Foundation. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[6] "Hornet 1". China Lake Museum Foundation. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[7] "T-39". China Lake Museum Foundation. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[8] "AGM-45 Shrike Antiradiation Missile". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[9] "AGM-53 Condor". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[10] "Walleye". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 3 October 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[11] "AGM-65 Maverick". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 23 May 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[12] "AGM-83 Bulldog". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 28 November 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[13] "SLAM-ER". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[14] "AGM-88 HARM". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[15] "AGM-122 Sidearm". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[16] "AGM-136 Tacit Rainbow". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[17] "AGM-154 JSOW". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[18] "AIM-9 Sidewinder". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[19] "AIM-54 Phoenix". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 21 October 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[20] "ASM-2 Bat". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[21] "Tomahawk". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[22] "APAM CBU-59". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[23] "CBU-78/B GATOR". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 7 November 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[24] "Laser-Guided Bomb LGB-24B/B". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[25] "FatMan- Mark IV". China Lake Museum Foundation. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[26] "Rockeye II Mark 20". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[27] "Mark 80 Series General Purpose Bombs". US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology. China Lake Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]