Importance Score: 72 / 100 🔴
Since its recognition in 1989, Area 51 has sparked numerous speculations, with many raising inquiries about its intent and the possibility of hidden information behind its fortified perimeter. The CIA formally confirmed its existence only in 2013.
The Resurfacing of CIA’s Area 51 Report
The CIA’s comprehensive 400-page report has recently garnered widespread attention as it circulates on the trendy social media platform now known as X. This document sheds light on the base’s operations prior to 1974, revealing that covert U-2 spy plane trials accounted for numerous unexplained flying objects sightings.
“High-altitude trials of the U-2 soon resulted in an unforeseen consequence: a significant rise in reports of unidentified flying objects (UFOs),” the report states.
High-Altitude Testing and UFO Reports
As the U-2 planes began flying above 60,000 feet, air traffic controllers started receiving a growing number of UFO reports. Instances when a U-2 pilot altered course caused sunlight to reflect off the aircraft’s metallic wings, producing a series of glints or flashes. This phenomenon led airline pilots to report seeing a luminous object ascending high above them.
The Establishment and Early Mission of Area 51
Construction and Initial Use
Established in July 1955, the base initially comprised a runway, housing units, water wells, and minimal hangar and workshop space.
The following month, the CIA initiated Project AQUATONE, a scheme to develop the Lockheed U-2 strategic reconnaissance aircraft.
The U-2 Aircraft’s Role
Designed to monitor the Soviet Union from afar, the U-2 played a crucial role in gathering intelligence during the Cold War era. Testing conducted at Area 51 led to innovative advancements in aerial surveillance and reconnaissance.
The first of Area 51’s notable reconnaissance endeavours, the OXCART programme commenced in 1960. This initiative focused on producing the A-12 spy plane, which later evolved into the SR-71 Blackbird, and necessitated speed and stealth during its missions over sensitive regions.
The A-12 aircraft was deployed for a five-year period, undertaking operations that were critical yet delicate, given the political climate of the time.
“In early 1962, CIA authorities grew worried about the Soviet Union potentially discovering the OXCART programme via aerial reconnaissance,” the document notes.
To evaluate this possibility, they had Area 51 photographed by a U-2 plane and later by a CORONA reconnaissance satellite.
Capturing Images Through Satellite and Space Technology
However, astronauts aboard America’s initial space station also succeeded in capturing images of this secretive site. The disobedience of Skylab astronauts, who unintentionally documented the Groom Lake site despite strict instructions against doing so, presented some security risks. This occurrence allowed for the inadvertent disclosure of the site’s existence to a broader audience.
The Controversy Surrounding the Report
The report, procured through a Freedom of Information Act request filed in 2005, has faced criticism from various quarters. Some experts dismiss the report’s assertions, arguing that the U-2 aircraft alone cannot account for the various unexplained aerial phenomena observed during that era.
“The claim that the U-2 explains most sightings at that time is pure nonsense,” said the renowned ufologist Stanton Friedman in 2013.
“Can the U-2 hover in the sky? Execute sharp turns in mid-air? Lift off from a stationary position?”