Naval Surface Warfare Center Corona

The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Corona Division, is a naval weapons test and development site that has transitioned to a mostly administrative, analytic, and data processing location. A precursor for testing that was moved to China Lake, a few test structures remain on the grounds of the Norco base, which is centered around the off-limits Lake Norconian (part of a grand and famous resort that was turned into a naval hospital in 1941, and is now largely abandoned). The active Naval Sea Systems Command buildings are on the east side of the lake, where processing and evaluation of naval weapons systems takes place, in classified and non-classified buildings. Norco is associated with Sea Systems Command operations in San Diego and Point Loma, and has links to testing at China Lake, and the Pacific Range, off Port Hueneme. Norco also has detachments at the Southern California naval weapons storage sites at Fallbrook and Seal Beach. The north side of the base is dominated by the abandoned resort, and a large state prison complex.