A declassified CIA document has resurfaced, sparking renewed interest in the mysterious Area 51 facility in Nevada's Mojave Desert.
According to Daily Mail, the CIA's 400-page report details how the secret base, established in 1955, was primarily used for testing high-altitude spy planes, which accounted for more than half of all UFO sightings during the late 1950s and 1960s.
The documents, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request in 2005 and declassified in 2013, provide comprehensive details about Area 51's origins and operations. The facility, officially known as the Groom Lake test facility or "the Ranch," was discovered by scouts flying over the Mojave Desert, leading to its establishment as a crucial testing ground for classified aircraft.
CIA's Cold War spy plane program revealed
The primary mission of Area 51 was Project AQUATONE, the CIA's classified program to develop the Lockheed U-2 strategic reconnaissance aircraft. These planes were designed to conduct high-altitude surveillance of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, addressing critical intelligence gaps.
The CIA report explains that many UFO sightings occurred during early evening hours when airline pilots spotted U-2 planes flying at altitudes above 60,000 feet. The document notes that when U-2 pilots made turns, sunlight reflecting off the aircraft's silver wings created flashes that were often mistaken for otherworldly phenomena.
To maintain secrecy, the CIA implemented strict protocols, including flying personnel between the Lockheed plant in Burbank, California, and the test site on a weekly basis.
Unprecedented access to classified operations
The OXCART program, which developed the A-12 reconnaissance plane, began operations at Area 51 in September 1960. The Lockheed A-12 was specifically designed for high-speed, high-altitude reconnaissance missions over politically sensitive areas.
The CIA document revealed their concern about Soviet surveillance of the OXCART program. To assess potential visibility issues, they conducted their own reconnaissance using U-2 planes and CORONA satellites to photograph the Groom Lake facility.
Self-proclaimed Ufologist Stanton Friedman expressed skepticism about the CIA's explanations:
The notion that the U-2 explains most sightings at that time is utter rot and baloney. Can the U-2 sit still in the sky? Make right-angle turns in the middle of the sky? Take off from nothing?
Public reaction and viral response
The facility gained widespread public attention in 1989 when Robert Lazar claimed on television that he worked at a secret site near Groom Lake called "S-4," where he allegedly studied alien technology and spacecraft.
In July 2019, the facility again captured the public imagination when nearly 500,000 people committed to "storming" Area 51. The Facebook event, titled "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us," attracted over 460,000 confirmed attendees and an equal number of interested participants.
The event creator, Matty Roberts, later revealed it was meant as a joke, expressing concern about potential FBI questioning after millions of UFO conspiracy theory enthusiasts signed up to participate.
The truth behind Area 51 emerges
Area 51, established in 1955 in Nevada's Mojave Desert, served as a crucial testing facility for the CIA's classified aircraft programs during the Cold War. The declassified documents reveal that the base's primary purpose was testing high-altitude spy planes like the U-2 and A-12, which were responsible for numerous UFO sightings between the 1950s and 1960s. While the CIA report provides extensive details about the facility's operations until 1974, it maintains silence about activities conducted after that period, leaving room for continued speculation about its current purposes.
