Area 51
Area 51, also known as Groom Lake, Watertown, the Ranch, or Dreamland, is a highly classified United States Air Force facility located within the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR), approximately 83 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The installation has served as the primary testing ground for the most advanced and classified aerospace programs in U.S. history, including the U-2, SR-71, and F-117A stealth fighter. Area 51 is central to the testimony of multiple UAP whistleblowers who allege the facility has been used for the testing of reverse-engineered non-human craft.
| Type | facility |
|---|
UAP Significance
Edgar Fouché, who was assigned to Detachment 3 AFFTC at Groom Lake, claimed that the facility housed the Defense Advanced Research Center (DARC), a 10-story underground laboratory near Papoose Lake where advanced digital technologies and reverse-engineered craft systems were developed. According to Fouché, a hangar built into the mountainside near Papoose stored TR-3B craft, with its entrance concealed by a holographic generator projecting the appearance of natural terrain. The top secret SR-75, SR-74, and TR-3B allegedly operated out of Groom Lake and were historically misidentified as UFOs.
In 1990, Jane's Defence writer James Goodall revealed a thesis of at least eight black programs flying out of Area 51, including a silent triangle utilizing unconventional technologies. A source of Goodall's who had been stationed at Groom Lake for 12 years stated that UAP positively exist at the base, while another stated they possessed things "literally out of this world, better than Star Trek."
Fouché's sources claimed that as of 1992, the Air Force conducted a contingency plan to relocate exotic aircraft platforms from Area 51 due to increasing public scrutiny. Destinations allegedly included Utah (Dugway Proving Ground), Colorado, Alaska, Greenland, Diego Garcia, and south to Area 51 S4 at Papoose.
Related Facilities
- Area 51 S4 — Alleged auxiliary site near Papoose Lake, distinct from the main Groom Lake installation
- Edwards Air Force Base — Detachment 3 AFFTC at Edwards runs operations at Groom Lake
- Nellis Air Force Base — Staging location for personnel transported to Area 51