The Navy 's lighter-than-air program was conducted at Lakehurst through the 1930s . It was the site of the 1937 LZ 129 Hindenburg airship disaster . During World War II , anti-submarine patrol blimps were operated from Lakehurst . Since the 1950s , Aviation Boatswain 's Mates have been trained at Lakehurst to operate catapults and arresting systems on aircraft carriers . Lakehurst conducts the unique mission of supporting and developing the Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment and Support Equipment for naval aviation . The Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System and the Advanced Arresting Gear system that will replace the existing steam catapults and the Mk-7 arresting gear are being developed and tested at Lakehurst at full-scale shipboard representative test facilities here
airship disaster
Hindenburg disaster
Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst