It is the only aerodrome in the territory and is located about 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Sussex Inlet; and about 2 km (1.2 mi) south of Jervis Bay Village and HMAS Creswell.

It was opened in 1941 as a satellite airfield of Royal Australian Air Force Base Nowra (now HMAS Albatross).

During 1945 it was home to the Royal Navy Mobile Naval Air Base MONAB V (HMS Nabswick) and several Fleet Air Arm squadrons of the British Pacific Fleet.

It continued to be used as a base for the RAN's GAF Jindivik pilotless target aircraft.

Today the RAN's British Aerospace MQM-107E Kalkara Flight is based at the airfield, along with the RAN School of Ship Survivability and Safety that has fire and damage control (flooding) training facilities.