SAN DIEGO - To keep Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) ready to execute its high-tech mission, and to address growing information warfare and cybersecurity requirements, the Navy is working alongside supporting partners and advocates throughout the San Diego region to provide the command with safe, modern and secure facilities.
Known as the Navy Old Town Campus (OTC) Revitalization Project, this effort centers around the redevelopment of NAVWAR Headquarters, which is currently housed in 1941 World War II aircraft factories, on 70.5 acres of Navy-owned land at Naval Base Point Loma, in the Midway-Pacific Highway Community of San Diego. The 80-year-old buildings are not compatible with NAVWAR’s technical, high-security mission today.
“The information domain is critical for our Navy to be more ready, more lethal and better connected,” said NAVWAR Executive Director John Pope. “We must ensure our skilled information warfare and cyber workforce has a secure facility that is conducive to their important work to design and deliver crucial capabilities for the warfighter."
Underscoring the importance of NAVWAR’s mission is the command’s support of Project Overmatch, one of the Navy’s top two initiatives, stood up in October 2020 by Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday. Project Overmatch will enable a Navy that swarms the sea, delivering synchronized lethal and non-lethal effects from near-and-far, on every axis, and in every domain.
As the Information Warfare Systems Command, NAVWAR’s expertise touches every warfighting domain from seabed to space and in cyberspace, making NAVWAR ready to contribute to Project Overmatch in the development of networks, infrastructure, data architecture, tools and analytics that support the operational and developmental environment that will support the Navy’s sustained maritime dominance.
"The project is creatively leveraging Navy assets to provide NAVWAR with the facilities it needs while simultaneously acting as a catalyst for economic growth in the district," said NAVWAR’s Revitalization Project Manager Greg Geisen. "NAVWAR directly employs nearly half of all cybersecurity workers in San Diego and its presence is a contributing factor for many cyber companies to remain located in the city."
Over the past 18 months, NAVWAR has been working with Navy Region Southwest, Naval Base Point Loma and Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command to produce a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Draft EIS is the first step in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Process and its goal is to analyze the potential environmental impacts associated with five project alternatives being considered for the revitalization of Naval Base Point Loma’s OTC facilities. Last year, the Navy created a website with all the most up-to-date information on the project: www.NAVWAR-Revitalization.com.
Key resources to be analyzed in the EIS include: air quality, transportation/traffic, cultural/historic resources, visual resources, land use, hazardous materials and waste, cumulative impacts, airspace, socioeconomics, environmental justice, public services, public health and safety, infrastructure, noise, geology, water resources and biological resources.
The Draft EIS is scheduled to be publicly released this year. Once released, a 60-day public comment period will follow. During this time, there will be multiple community engagement sessions and opportunities for the public to learn about the project, ask questions, and submit their comments and concerns.
After consideration of all public comments, a final EIS would be published followed closely by the Navy’s Record of Decision, which would identify the alternative selected.
“The Navy is committed to a thorough environmental document to support the Navy’s decision-making process in selecting an alternative for revitalization of the site,” said Naval Base Point Loma Commanding Officer Capt. Kenneth Franklin. “While the Navy’s primary goal is a new NAVWAR facility that meets its changing mission requirements, the Navy recognizes that any project that is good for the Navy should also provide positive impacts to the community.”
Following the Navy’s selection of an alternative, there will still be a multi-year planning and execution timeline to construct the project. Until new facilities available, NAVWAR will continue to operate on the OTC site.
While the NAVWAR mission is driving the requirements and urgency of the revitalization project, a new facility will also attract and retain the skills and talent needed to outpace adversaries in today and tomorrow’s fast moving, more complex and increasingly competitive cybersecurity environment.
Continue to stay updated with the most current information and timelines; visit the project website at www.NAVWAR-revitalization.com.
About NAVWAR:
NAVWAR identifies, develops, delivers and sustains information warfighting capabilities and services that enable naval, joint, coalition and other national missions operating in warfighting domains from seabed to space and through cyberspace. NAVWAR consists of more than 11,000 civilian, active duty and reserve professionals located around the world.