NAWCTSD is the principal U.S. Navy center for research, development, test and evaluation, acquisition, life cycle program management and product support of all aviation, surface and undersea training systems, devices and programs for the U.S. Navy and all aviation training systems for the U.S. Marine Corps.

[2][3] The roots of the NAWCTSD reach back to April 1941 when then-Commander Luis de Florez became head of the new Special Devices Desk in the Engineering Division of the Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer).

In August 1946, the Division, at its newest home at Port Washington, Long Island, NY, was commissioned the Special Devices Center.

Over a three-year period in the mid-1960s, the Center moved from its Long Island location to Orlando, Florida, taking residence as a tenant activity at the then-Orlando Air Force Base, that installation subsequently becoming Naval Training Center Orlando in 1968 until its closure in 1999 pursuant to a 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) decision.

In 1988, the Center moved from NTC Orlando to its present headquarters approximately 15 miles east of its former location and just south of the University of Central Florida campus.

Another aircraft, an F/A-18A Hornet, BuNo 161597, is located on the west side of the installation and is painted in low visibility gray Fleet markings with NAVAIR and NAWCTSD insignia.

It was previously located at the former Naval Air Station Atlanta, Georgia and was relocated to NSA Orlando just prior to the former's closure due to BRAC.