Officially Licensed US Navy Naval Weapons Station Crane Patch - Naval Weapons Station Crane (NWS Crane), Indiana, officially licensed embroidered patch representing the Navy's premier weapons systems research, development, and test installation.
Ordnance roots, cutting-edge technology, and warfighter readiness woven into one Indiana-forged Navy identity.
Naval Weapons Station Crane traces its origins to 1941, when the Bureau of Ordnance established the site as a Naval Ammunition Depot for the production, testing, and storage of ordnance in the hills of Martin County, Indiana. Named after Commodore William M. Crane, the installation grew steadily through the Cold War decades, expanding from ammunition handling into electronics, night vision systems, sonobuoy surveillance, and Polaris missile support. Today, as the third largest naval installation in the world by geographic area, it operates under Naval Sea Systems Command through its principal tenant, Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division, and serves a joint customer base that spans the Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, Special Operations Command, Coast Guard, and NASA. The installation was officially renamed Naval Weapons Station Crane in December 2024, a change designed to align its title with its primary missions in weapons systems development and testing. Three core focus areas define the modern mission: Electromagnetic Warfare, Strategic Missions, and Expeditionary Warfare, with the latter directly supporting Special Operations, Irregular Warfare, and Riverine Operations. This officially licensed embroidered patch captures that layered identity, from World War II ordnance depot to one of the Navy's most technically sophisticated shore commands.
Perfect For: Navy civilians, scientists, engineers, and technicians stationed at or retired from NWS Crane, NSWC Crane Division veterans, Naval Sea Systems Command collectors, Special Operations supporters, Indiana military history enthusiasts, shadow box builders, challenge coin and patch board displays, reunion keepsakes, and anyone preserving the story of a shore command that has quietly shaped Navy weapons technology for more than eight decades. It also suits family members and supporters who want a clean, officially licensed tribute to the researchers and warfighters behind the sensors, electronic warfare systems, and strategic weapons that define modern naval readiness.
Eight decades of ordnance heritage and technical excellence, stitched into one officially licensed piece of Navy history.
