CIA document exposes truth about Area 51 and UFO sightings – but debate rages on
Since it burst onto the conspiracy theory scene in 1989, Area 51 has been shrouded in secrecy, sparking heated debates about its true purpose behind those imposing, barbed wire-topped fences. The CIA didn’t officially confirm the site’s existence until 2013.
In a resurgence of interest, a hefty 400-page CIA report has people buzzing all over again as it spreads across X. The document reveals the base’s pre-1974 operations, including secret U-2 spy plane tests that seem to explain many UFO sightings misinterpreted by the public.
The report stated: “High-altitude testing of the U-2 soon led to an unexpected side effect – a tremendous increase in reports of unidentified flying objects (UFOs).
“Once U-2s started flying at altitudes above 60,000 feet, air-traffic controllers began receiving increasing numbers of UFO reports.
“At times, when a U-2 pilot made a turn, the sunlight reflecting off the U-2’s silver wings would cause a series of glints or flashes. This caused airliner pilots to report seeing a bright object high above them.”
Originally constructed in July 1955, Area 51 was pretty basic, equipped with little more than a runway, some housing, water wells, and a scant amount of hangar and shop space.
The next month saw the CIA embark on their clandestine Project AQUATONE, which aimed to bring the Lockheed U-2 strategic reconnaissance aircraft to life.
The aircraft was crafted to keep an eye on the Soviet Union from afar, aiding in intelligence gathering during the Cold War era.
After these initial test flights, the base kicked off the OXCART program in 1960, which led to the creation of the A-12 reconnaissance plane.
This cutting-edge aircraft was designed for missions where speed and stealth were crucial, operating for five years over politically sensitive territories.
“In early 1962, CIA officials became concerned about the possibility that the Soviet Union might learn about the OXCART program through overhead reconnaissance,” the document revealed.
To assess this risk, they had Area 51 snapped by a U-2 and later by a CORONA reconnaissance satellite.
Yet, astronauts aboard America’s maiden space station also captured images of the site.
Despite explicit orders to avoid it, Skylab astronauts accidentally took photos of the Groom Lake testing grounds.
The report came to light following a Freedom of Information Act request filed in 2005, but it has faced criticism.
“The notion that the U-2 explains most sightings at that time is utter rot and baloney,” declared self-styled Ufologist Stanton Friedman in 2013.
“Can the U-2 sit still in the sky? Make right-angle turns in the middle of the sky? Take off from nothing?”.
