Overview
Groom Lake — popularly known as Area 51 — is a classified United States Air Force flight test facility located on the dry bed of Groom Lake in southern Nevada, approximately 83 miles north-northwest of Las Vegas. The facility is part of the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) and is operated by the 99th Wing at Nellis Air Force Base. It is the most famous classified test site in the world and has been the subject of extensive public speculation, conspiracy theories, and cultural mythology.
The facility's primary mission is the flight testing of classified aircraft and weapon systems. It was established in 1955 as a test site for the CIA's U-2 reconnaissance aircraft and has subsequently hosted the A-12 Oxcart, the F-117 Nighthawk, the Have Blue prototype, and numerous other classified programmes. The US government did not publicly acknowledge the facility's existence until 2013, when the CIA declassified documents relating to the A-12 programme that mentioned the Groom Lake site.
Site Selection and Early History
In April 1955, as Lockheed's Skunk Works prepared to test the CIA's new U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, the team needed a remote, secure test site with favourable flying weather and a long, flat surface for takeoffs and landings. The existing Edwards Air Force Base in California was considered too public for the deeply classified U-2 programme.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved the use of the Groom Lake dry bed, which was located within the Atomic Energy Commission's Nevada Test Site and therefore already under federal control and access restriction. The site was remote, surrounded by mountains that provided visual cover, and had a natural six-mile-long dry lakebed surface that was ideal for use as a runway.
Construction of the initial facilities — a 5,000-foot asphalt runway, a few hangars, and basic accommodations — began in mid-1955. The first U-2 flight from Groom Lake took place in July 1955. The facility was initially called "Watertown" (a reference to CIA Director Allen Dulles's birthplace of Watertown, New York) and later "Paradise Ranch" (a name chosen by Lockheed's Kelly Johnson to make the remote posting sound more appealing to prospective personnel).
The A-12 Oxcart Era
In 1959, the CIA selected Groom Lake as the test site for the A-12 Oxcart programme, the Mach 3+ reconnaissance aircraft that would succeed the U-2. The A-12 required a longer runway, expanded facilities, and a larger workforce than the U-2 programme. The runway was extended to 8,500 feet and then to 10,000 feet; new hangars, fuel storage, and personnel facilities were constructed.
The first A-12 flight from Groom Lake took place on 26 April 1962. The A-12 programme operated at Groom Lake until 1968, when the aircraft was retired in favour of the SR-71. During the A-12 era, the facility's security was dramatically increased: the surrounding area was placed under restricted airspace, and the perimeter was expanded to prevent external observation.
Stealth Testing: Have Blue and F-117
In the late 1970s, Groom Lake became the test site for the Have Blue stealth technology demonstrator programme. The two Have Blue prototypes were assembled at Lockheed's Burbank facility, transported to Groom Lake by C-5 Galaxy, and tested there in 1977–1979. Both prototypes were lost in accidents during testing, but the data they generated validated the stealth concept and led directly to the F-117 Nighthawk.
The F-117 full-scale development aircraft were also tested at Groom Lake beginning in 1981. The first F-117 flight occurred on 18 June 1981. The F-117 programme operated at Groom Lake until the aircraft's existence was publicly acknowledged in 1988, after which operations were moved to Tonopah Test Range, Nevada.
Modern Operations and Secrecy
The US government did not publicly acknowledge the existence of the Groom Lake facility until 2013, when the CIA declassified a 1992 internal history of the A-12 programme that mentioned the site by name and location. Prior to that acknowledgement, the government's official position was to neither confirm nor deny the facility's existence, despite its widespread public knowledge.
The facility continues to operate as a classified test site. Its current programmes are not publicly known, but the site is widely believed to host testing of advanced aircraft, unmanned systems, and other classified technologies. The airspace above the facility (R-4808N) is permanently restricted, and the perimeter is patrolled by armed security contractors (formerly known as "cammo dudes"). Photography of the facility from the perimeter is legal but subjects photographers to surveillance and potential harassment.
Public Acknowledgment
The CIA's 2013 declassification of A-12 programme documents marked the first official US government acknowledgement of the Groom Lake facility. The declassified documents confirmed that the site was used for U-2 and A-12 testing and provided historical details about the facility's establishment and early operations.
The acknowledgement did not extend to current or recent classified programmes at the site. The government continues to classify information about post-A-12 activities at Groom Lake, and the facility remains off-limits to the public.
Declassification and Provenance
The Groom Lake facility's existence was officially acknowledged by the CIA in 2013 through the declassification of A-12 programme documents. Historical information about the U-2 and A-12 programmes at the site is now publicly available. However, information about subsequent programmes (F-117, Have Blue, and later classified activities) remains largely classified.
The gallery image associated with this technology is from a legacy image compilation whose CIA-P2 catalog number is a legacy identifier and does not establish CIA authorship, declassification, or provenance for this specific photograph. The image appears to show a distant view of a desert facility, but the precise date, location, and photographic provenance cannot be verified from the image alone.
References
- CIA. "The U-2's Intertwining with the Nevada Test Site." Central Intelligence Agency, declassified 2013.
- CIA. "The Oxcart Story." Central Intelligence Agency, declassified.
- Rich, Ben R. and Janos, Leo. Skunk Works. Little, Brown and Company.
- Patton, Phil. Dreamland: Travels Inside the Secret World of Roswell and Area 51. Villard Books.
- Merlin, Peter W. Mach 3+: NASA/USAF YF-12 Flight Research, 1969–1979. NASA.
- National Security Archive. "The Secret History of the U-2 and Area 51." George Washington University.