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Drone Rules for Patuxent River NAS/Trapnell Field

St. Mary's County, Maryland (MD) • United States
22268 Cedar Point Rd #409, Patuxent River, MD 20670, USA
Lat: 38.2817 • Lng: -76.4346
Ground Not allowed Last updated: May 30, 2026
Summary
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NAS Patuxent River is home to the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division and is the Navy's premier aircraft test and evaluation facility. All UAS operations are prohibited without DoD authorization.

Drone Rules - NAS Patuxent River

All UAS operations are prohibited within NAS Patuxent River (KNHK) and adjacent restricted airspace. Classified and developmental aircraft systems operate here daily.

Airspace / Site Context

  • NAS Pax River (KNHK) Class D from surface with Restricted Area R-4006 to the south
  • Washington SFRA extends north toward this installation
  • Naval Air Warfare Center tests F-35, electronic warfare, and classified UAV programs
  • Chesapeake Bay test range extends miles over water

Key Rules

  • No UAS without Navy/NAWCAD authorization; restricted area R-4006 is frequently hot
  • Test flight corridors over the Chesapeake Bay require coordination with Pax River tower
  • P-40 National Security Area influence zone requires enhanced security screening
  • Maryland state law prohibits UAS over critical infrastructure

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