Photo By Edward Cartagena | NAVFAC Southwest Commanding Officer Capt. Cathy Eyrich and NAVFAC Facilities...... read more read more
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Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southwest announced the completion of Resident Officer in Charge of Construction (ROICC) China Lake’s portion of work on the historic $2.7 billion, 26 individual projects that made up the earthquake recovery program at Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake, marking a significant milestone in restoring and modernizing the Navy’s premier research, development, testing, and evaluation installation.
“The scale of the earthquake recovery effort at China Lake has been extraordinary, and the successful delivery of 26 projects, building 56 technically complex facilities, is a testament to that scope,” said Capt. Cathy Eyrich, commanding officer, NAVFAC Southwest. “This achievement reflects the dedication and teamwork of our Construction, Engineering, and Contracting professionals across the Office in Charge of Construction (OICC) and ROICC teams, our industry partners, and the supported commanders. Their collaboration, expertise, and relentless focus on mission success made it possible to transform a devastating event into a modern, resilient capability that will serve the Navy and the nation for decades to come.”
The July 2019 earthquakes caused widespread damage across NAWS China Lake, severely impacting facilities critical to the Navy’s research, development, acquisition, testing and evaluation mission. In response, NAVFAC stood up the OICC China Lake in August 2020 to execute, at the time the largest military construction program in Navy history aboard the Navy’s largest landholding, equal to the size of Rhode Island.
By mid-2024, the program had delivered over half of the projects, oversight transitioned to the Resident Officer in Charge of Construction China Lake, led by Captain Nathan Hardy, CEC, assuming command of the program.
Among the remaining projects, ROICC China Lake delivered the largest project of the program in November 2024: the six-facility South Airfield complex. This major milestone provided state-of-the-art aviation support and research infrastructure essential to NAWS China Lake’s flight test mission and represented the culmination of years of coordinated effort between NAVFAC, Naval Air Systems Command-Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, industry partners, and the community of Ridgecrest.
“Our integrated project teams have performed phenomenally through the last 15% of the program, arguably the hardest part where they have been in the midst of completing construction projects, closing out construction contracts, outfitting buildings and moving the workforce into these brand new, technologically advanced facilities,” said Capt. Nathan Hardy, officer in charge, ROICC China Lake.
The transition of ROICC China Lake’s role reflects years of collaboration between NAVFAC Enterprise, the U.S. Navy, federal, state and local agencies, and a strong partnership with private industry and the patriotic community of Ridgecrest.
The eight prime contractors, their countless sub-contractors (at the peak 1,200 contractors) worked alongside the 150 military and civilian personnel, during the peak of COVID-19, in austere conditions, at a remote location deep in the Mojave Desert to meet an aggressive timeline.
Throughout the program, safety remained the top priority, while the team displayed the highest quality of workmanship, while setting the standard of implementing innovative solutions to complex construction challenges, to include the application of new construction technologies, methods and materials to the highest of quality standards.
In total, the program not only replaced what was lost, but also positioned NAWS China Lake for future mission growth. New facilities were built to modern-day standards, replacing 1940s structures with the means to resist future seismic activity and support evolving operational needs for decades to come.
The completion of this phase does not end the Navy’s presence at China Lake but rather ensures the installation is stronger, more modern, and better equipped to support those who work at China Lake to carry out the mission. The program will leave behind monuments of engineering, construction and the excellence of the personnel working to improve the resilience of the base and the community that supports China Lake from future natural disasters.
| Date Taken: | 09.23.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.25.2025 16:35 |
| Story ID: | 549346 |
| Location: | RIDGECREST, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 228 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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