When contractors quoted mechanical engineer Vincent Malpaya $2,500 per unit to manufacture a switch matrix for rocket testing, he needed ten of them. Instead of waiting months and paying tens of thousands of dollars, he built the part himself in Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division’s Innovation Lab for 20 cents per unit. The savings helped keep the project on track and supported the fleet’s test schedule.
For Malpaya and many others, solving problems fast is part of the job. The Innovation Lab gives them the tools and space to do it.
“I’m working on this gimbal,” Malpaya said during a recent visit, shaping his design on a computer screen.
Stories like his highlight how the Innovation Lab strengthens readiness across the command. Employees can design, build and test ideas sooner, which helps deliver capability to the warfighter faster.
NAWCWD operates two Innovation Labs, one at China Lake and one at Point Mugu. Both sites offer the same equipment and training, and employees can use either location. Shared access cuts wait times and helps teams working across both installations keep projects moving without delay.
Fast solutions for real problems
For many projects, speed is essential to meet operational needs.
The lab supports rapid prototyping by giving employees access to 3D printers, laser cutters and CNC machines. These tools help turn ideas into physical models in days instead of months. “We're just trying to cut down a lot of lead time,” said Kevin Hughes, the Innovation Lab manager at Point Mugu.
That speed was critical for engineer Drew Hines and his team, who needed to mount new equipment on a KC-130. The technical drawings were incomplete. Some dimensions were wrong. Sending a flawed design to an outside shop would have cost thousands of dollars and added weeks of delay. Instead, Hines and engineer Sam Newcomer scanned the equipment in the lab, designed a mounting plate and cut a test piece on the CNC machine. When the holes did not line up, they corrected the design immediately for only pennies.
“The flexibility to make something new, adjust it, test it, find a mistake, fix it and still support the event is what justifies having this place,” Hines said.
Building skills that support the mission
From saving thousands of dollars on test equipment to solving problems on tight schedules, the Innovation Lab helps NAWCWD deliver capability at the speed of relevance.
For Malpaya, the lab has already made a measurable impact. He can now print a gimbal mount for a weapons system he is supporting.
Hughes said the lab represents what he values most about working in defense.
“I’m doing something for the service, for the warfighter,” Hughes said, adding that faster solutions mean test events stay on track and capability reaches the fleet sooner.
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