Area 51: Alien testing ground or enigmatic US military base?

Area 51, found at Groom Lake in the remote desert of southern Nevada, is a US Air Force base famous for its alleged links to UFO sightings. Many conspiracy theories suggest that Area 51 is used to test alien technology supposedly recovered from crash sites, including the famous Roswell incident in New Mexico.

In that incident which took place in 1947, a strange object crashed near the town of Roswell. Some believe it was a crashed UFO, while the government claimed it was a weather balloon. It remains a topic of debate and speculation among people interested in extraterrestrial life. Such theories spring from the fact that the base has been kept a secret for a long time and is still not accessible to the public.

As a result, this secretive military facility has become an important element in the myths and urban legends of the 20th Century. It has had a significant impact on media and popular culture, shaping people’s imagination and fuelling their fascination with the unknown.

Area 51 is situated approximately 120 miles (200 kilometres) northwest of Las Vegas, close to the small towns of Rachel and Hiko. The name, ‘Area 51’, originated from the label given to the base on Atomic Energy Commission maps. While it has stuck in the minds of the public, the military, itself, largely does not use this designation. In 1955, as part of the Nevada Test and Training Range complex, the area was established and given the name, ‘Paradise Ranch’, by aerospace company Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin) in an effort to attract workers to the base.

The Nevada Test and Training Range complex is a large stretch of land in Nevada designated for testing and training purposes related to military operations. It is used for various activities, such as weapons testing, combat exercises and pilot training, to ensure readiness and proficiency of the military forces. Currently, the base, along with the Nevada Test and Training Range complex, is included in the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). The CIA refers to it as ‘Groom Lake’ or ‘Homey Airport’. In the past, satellite images of the site were limited in availability. But, since 2018, the base can be seen on Google Maps.

Benjamin Radford, an American folklorist, writer and investigator known for his skeptical approach to unexplained phenomena, and also deputy editor of Skeptical Inquirer magazine, who has authored several articles about conspiracy theories related to Area 51, says the big space around Area 51 is to keep people from snooping around. They want to make sure nobody can easily figure out what is happening inside.

It is also important because they need a lot of room to test their top-secret aircraft. So, basically, they have made the area around Area 51 really big to stop people from looking and to have enough space for testing secret planes. The US military finally admitted in 2013 that Area 51 does exist. This happened after the National Security Archive at George Washington University got hold of a previously classified CIA document that described the history of the U-2 spy plane.

However, just because the base’s existence is now acknowledged does not mean that people should try to visit it. Radford points out that there are still valid government and military reasons for keeping what happens there a secret. The military labels Area 51 as a ‘Military Operating Area’. There are strict signs and armed guards patrolling the fences protected by buried motion sensors, cameras and other security measures. There are also signs warning that “deadly force can be used”, Radford explains. The borders of Area 51 are not fenced off, but are marked with orange poles and warning signs informing visitors that taking photos is prohibited and that trespassing will result in a fine.

Originally used to test the U-2 spy plane, the base later became a testing site for other famous aircraft, such as the Archangel-12, the SR-71 Blackbird and the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter. The testing of new and secret military aircraft is probably the main reason why Area 51 is linked to UFOs. It is important to remember that ‘UFO’ means any unidentified flying object and not necessarily alien spacecraft.

Strange lights and aircraft are, sometimes, seen in the area, so it is easy to imagine UFOs. However, new aircraft can look very similar, according to Radford. The basic, flawed idea behind the Area 51 myths is simple: The government keeps it secret, so it must be something incredibly secretive and amazing.

There is no reason to believe anything related to UFOs is happening in Area 51, Radford adds. It is just one of many military bases, national labs and government research centres in the country that handle classified or ‘Top Secret’ information, and where both workers and visitors need security clearance.

Area 51 myths were further fuelled in 1989 when a man named Robert Lazar claimed he worked on alien technology inside the base, in addition to the sightings of strange aircraft. Lazar told Las Vegas TV reporter George Knapp he had seen autopsy photos of aliens at Area 51 and that the US government used the site to study recovered alien spacecraft, according to Space.com.

It got a lot of attention, but it was later revealed that Lazar fabricated not only his job at Nellis Air Force Base in southern Nevada but also his entire background. Much of the myth has been driven by hoaxers like Lazar. Almost nothing he said was true Lazar was discredited, but his statements sparked many government conspiracy theories, mostly about aliens.

Although the rumours about alien technology and Area 51 were false, the link deeply stuck in the public’s mind and pop culture. Besides the many documentaries about Lazar and the UFO connection to Area 51, the base has also become a popular setting in fictional movies and TV shows.

One of the most famous depictions of Area 51 is seen in the film, ‘Independence Day’, from 1996, starring Will Smith. Directed by Roland Emmerich, this film was a huge success, earning more than $817 million globally. In the movie, Area 51 plays a crucial role as a significant place where humanity battles against an alien invasion.

Area 51 also made an appearance on television in a 2011 episode of the popular show, ‘Doctor Who’. In this particular episode, called ‘Day of the Moon’, the time-traveling doctor finds himself captured and imprisoned at the base. Considering the show’s focus on extraterrestrial themes, government secrets and conspiracy theories, it is not surprising that Area 51 eventually became part of the storyline in ‘The X-Files’. In an episode from its sixth season, called ‘Dreamland’, Mulder and Scully witness an unidentified flying craft taking off from the facility, which is also referred to as ‘Dreamland’ in the episode.

Area 51 made its debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe during the seventh season of the TV show, ‘Agents of Shield’. It appeared in two episodes and was referenced in a third. The Daily Bugle, a publication connected to Spider-Man’s nemesis, J. Jonah Jameson, made references to Area 51 in a series of video packages. These videos were used as part of the promotional campaign for the movie, ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, around end-2021. According to The Daily Bugle reports, there was a planned raid on Area 51 by people wanting to find proof of aliens. Over a million were expected to join, but only a few actually showed up—just as in the movies.

In 2019, a social media prank quickly gained attention when a student, Matty Roberts, 20, from Bakersfield, California, organized an event. Surprisingly, 3.5 million people showed interest in attending the event, causing the situation to nearly spiral out of control. The Facebook event that gained attention was titled ‘Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us’, which had a lighthearted tone.

The idea behind the event was for a large number of people to run towards the base in an attempt to overpower security. The purpose was to uncover alleged secrets, such as alien technology and classified research. Around 6,000 people attended the laid-back summer event, enjoying such activities as hatchet-throwing and unique alien-themed Bud Light beer. However, the event did not challenge the light security at Area 51.

Although it initially started as a joke, some individuals took the event seriously and began making plans to gather near the entrance of Area 51. However, the exact purpose, or intention, of their gathering remained unclear. Despite the anticipation, the small town of Rachel prepared for large crowds and an anticipated music festival that ultimately did not take place. The event turned out to be a major disaster, comparable to a smaller version of the ill-fated Fyre Festival, but with an alien-themed audience.

(The author of this article is a Defence, Aerospace & Political Analyst based in Bengaluru. He is also Director of ADD Engineering Components, India, Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany. You can reach him at: girishlinganna@gmail.com)

(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own and do not reflect those of DNA)