In 1940, the U.S. Navy got the land that would become Naval Air Station Oceana. The nearby area was mostly farmland that flooded easily. It was useful as a second airfield to support the growing Naval Air Force at NAS Norfolk. It also let units get ready for deployments away from the crowded base there. NAS Norfolk could not be the home station for tactical air units because of problems with airspace. Much of its airspace is shared with the Norfolk International Airport. In the 1950s, NAS Oceana was made larger and given Master Jet Base status to be the home for the tactical air units. NAS Oceana has grown to become one of the largest air stations in the world. It covers an area of . Area around the base was cleared to remove obstructions and make flight easier at the base. This adds an additional to the area of the base. The bass has four runways. They are laid out in two pair forming a cross. Three of the runways are in length. The other is . They are designed for high-performance aircraft. NAS Oceana's main mission is to train and house the Navy's Atlantic Fleet strike fighter squadrons of F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets. Naval Aviators and Naval Flight Officers at NAS Oceana fly about 219,000 training operations each year.