Naval Air Station North Island

Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI) is located on the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay in San Diego, California. It is a component of Naval Base Coronado. Commissioned in 1917 as Naval Air Station San Diego, the base was officially designated the "Birthplace of Naval Aviation" by the House Armed Services Committee in 1963. The site hosted early aviation training starting in 1911 and served as the location for the first seaplane flight, mid-air refueling, and non-stop transcontinental flight. The Navy shared the island with the Army’s Rockwell Field until 1937, when the Navy expanded operations across the entire peninsula. During World War II, the station served as the continental installation supporting U.S. Pacific Fleet operations, including carriers, the Coast Guard, and Marine units.

The U.S. Navy operates the station under Navy Region Southwest. The Commanding Officer of NASNI also administers Naval Base Coronado, which includes Naval Auxiliary Landing Field San Clemente Island and Naval Outlying Landing Field Imperial Beach. The station is the headquarters for Commander, Naval Air Forces and Commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. It hosts 23 aviation squadrons and 80 tenant commands, including Fleet Readiness Center Southwest, the Helicopter Maritime Strike Wing Pacific, and the Helicopter Sea Combat Wing Pacific. Carrier Strike Groups One, Three, Seven, and Eleven are stationed at the facility.

Infrastructure at NASNI supports an aerospace-industrial complex including the Naval Aviation Depot. The airfield hosts squadrons of MH-60R and MH-60S Seahawk helicopters, C-40A Clipper aircraft, and CMV-22B tilt-rotor aircraft. The quay wall serves as the home port for Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, including USS Carl Vinson, USS Abraham Lincoln, USS Theodore Roosevelt, and USS John C. Stennis. The base also hosts the Deep Submergence Unit, which operates Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicles and their support vessels. Facilities include industrial manufacturing buildings, 13 helipads, and dedicated military security and support departments.