USS ''Rancocas'' (LS-1) is the former name of an engineering development facility at the border between Moorestown Township and

Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey Mount Laurel is a township in Burlington County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a suburb of Philadelphia and part of the South Jersey region. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 41,864, reflecting an increase of 1 ...

. In May 2008, it was formally renamed the Vice Admiral James H. Doyle, Jr. Combat System Engineering Development Site (CSEDS). It is located between Hartford Road and County Route 537 in Moorestown and looks like a warehouse with the superstructure of a planned, but never built naval strike cruiser sitting on the roof. The design of the superstructure was later incorporated into the design of the . The facility was initially constructed for the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

in 1958, to support AN/FPS-49

Ballistic Missile Early Warning System The RCA 474L Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS, "474L System", Project 474L) was a United States Air Force Cold War early warning radar, computer, and communications system, for ballistic missile detection. The network of twelve ra ...

development. It briefly operated as a sensor for the SPACETRACK program but was transferred to the U.S. Navy and refurbished in 1976 to support

Aegis Combat System The Aegis Combat System is an American integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and it is now produced by Lockheed Martin. Initially used by the United States Navy, Aegis is now used also by t ...

development. It is still used by

Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It ...

for Aegis research and development, and houses not only Navy and Lockheed Martin personnel, but personnel from numerous subcontractors, such as Mission Solutions Engineering and

Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense technology company. With 90,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $30 billion, it is one of the world's largest weapons manufacturers and military techn ...

. The New Jersey Historic Preservation Office has declared the Vice Admiral James H. Doyle, Jr. Combat System Engineering Development Site eligible for listing in the

New Jersey Register of Historic Places The New Jersey Register of Historic Places is the official list of historic resources of local, state, and national interest in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The program is administered by the New Jersey's state historic preservation office within ...

. Formally commissioned in 1977, it is a Navy-owned building, staffed by Navy personnel attached to Aegis Technical Representative (AEGIS TECHREP), which is an Echelon 3 field activity under

Naval Sea Systems Command The Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) is the largest of the United States Navy's five "systems commands," or materiel (not to be confused with "material") organizations. From a physical perspective, NAVSEA has four shipyards for shipbuilding, c ...

(NAVSEA). Because the facility is plainly visible from Interstate 295 and the

New Jersey Turnpike The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highways in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA).The Garden State Parkway, although maintained by NJTA, is not consi ...

, it has become something of a landmark for local residents and travelers. Area residents frequently refer to it as the "Cornfield Cruiser" or "Cruiser in a Cornfield." An

AN/SPY-1 The AN/SPY-1 is a United States Navy 3D radar system manufactured by Lockheed Martin. The array is a passive electronically scanned system and a key component of the Aegis Combat System. The system is computer controlled and uses four complement ...

antenna array damaged in the USS ''Cole'' bombing was later refurbished and installed in CSEDS.

Naval Facilities Engineering Command The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) is the United States Navy's engineering systems command, providing the Navy and United States Marine Corps with facilities and expeditionary expertise. NAVFAC is headquartered at the Washi ...

completed a large extension to the original building in early 2015. In 2020, an AN/SPY-6(V)1 array was installed at the Combat System Engineering Development Site to support testing.Navy’s ‘Cruiser in the Cornfield’ Gets Radar Upgrade
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References

External links

USS Rancocas No Sea SicknessInformational page

website {{DEFAULTSORT:Rancocas Systems command installations of the United States Navy Buildings and structures in Burlington County, New Jersey Military installations in New Jersey Moorestown, New Jersey Mount Laurel, New Jersey Lockheed Martin