{{Short description|Restricted military installation in Nevada}}
[[File:Jfader tonopah airfield2.jpg|310px|thumb|Tonopah airbase and the surrounding test range (NASA Landsat-7 composite)]]
{{About||the Tonopah Test Range airfield facilities|Tonopah Test Range Airport}}
'''Tonopah Test Range''' (TTR, also known as '''Area 52''') is a restricted military installation used by the [[United States Department of Defense]] and [[Department of Energy]], located approximately 30 miles southeast of [[Tonopah, Nevada]]. It forms part of the northern edge of the [[Nevada Test and Training Range]], covering 625 square miles. TTR is situated around 70 miles northwest of [[Groom Lake]], home to the [[Area 51]] facility.
{{Infobox military installation
Though less famous than Area 51, Tonopah is significant in classified aircraft development, nuclear stockpile stewardship, and military R&D. Its airspace—restricted area R-4809—is frequently used for advanced flight testing and military operations.
| ownership = [[United States Department of Energy]]
| past_commanders = Brian T. Adkins<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ttr.sandia.gov/o-contactus.htm|title = TTR - Contact Us}}</ref>
| open_to_public = '''No'''
| controlled by = [[United States Department of Energy]] '''{{small|DoE}}'''<br />[[United States Air Force]] '''{{small|USAF}}'''<br />[[Department Of Defense]] '''{{small|DoD}}'''<br />[[National Nuclear Security Administration]] '''{{small|NNSA}}'''<br />and other Government Agencies
| garrison =
| current_commander = '''Classified'''
| occupants = [[File:412th_Test_Wing.png|50px]][[412th Test Wing]]
| Battles =
| events =
| image2 =
| caption2 =
}}
The '''Tonopah Test Range''' (TTR, also designated as '''Area 52''') is a highly classified, restricted military installation of the [[United States Department of Defense]], and [[United States Department of Energy]] ([[Stockpile stewardship|nuclear stockpile stewardship]]) located about {{convert|30|mi|km}} southeast of [[Tonopah, Nevada]]. It is part of the northern fringe of the [[Nevada Test and Training Range|Nellis Range]], measuring {{convert|625|sqmi|abbr=on}}. Tonopah Test Range is located about {{convert|70|mi|km}} northwest of [[Groom Lake]], the home of the [[Area 51]] facility.
Like the Groom Lake facility, Tonopah is a site of interest to conspiracy theorists, mostly for its use of experimental and classified aircraft. As such, it is not generally the focus of alien enthusiasts, unlike its neighbor. It is currently used for nuclear weapons stockpile reliability testing, research and development of fusing and firing systems, and testing nuclear weapon delivery systems.<ref name="sandia2003" /> The airspace comprises restricted area R-4809 of the [[Nevada Test and Training Range]] and is often used for military training.
== Description ==
The range is owned by the [[United States Department of Energy]] and managed by [[Sandia National Laboratories]] under a USAF permit. It lies within the [[Great Basin Desert]] in Cactus Flat valley, flanked by [[Cactus Peak]] and [[Kawich Peak]]. Vegetation includes black sagebrush and creosote bush, with populations of wild horses, burros, coyotes, pronghorn, mule deer, and sage birds monitored by the [[Bureau of Land Management]].
==Description==
=== Airfields ===
The Tonopah Test Range<ref>[http://ttr.sandia.gov ttr.sandia.gov]</ref> is owned by the [[United States Department of Energy]] and is managed by [[Sandia National Laboratories]], a division of [[Honeywell International]], which operates the Tonopah Test Range under an Air Force permit with the [[National Nuclear Security Administration]].<ref name="sandia2003">[http://prod.sandia.gov/techlib/access-control.cgi/2004/042812.pdf Annual Site Environmental Report: Tonopah Test Range, Nevada and Kauai Test Facility, Hawaii, 2003], Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 105 pp.</ref> The range is part of the [[Great Basin Desert]] and lies mostly within the Cactus Flat valley, consisting of [[horst and graben]] geology.<ref name="sandia2003" /> It is flanked by the [[Cactus Peak]] hills to the west and the [[Kawich Peak]] to the east, which is home of [[Silverbow]], one of the largest mining [[ghost town]]s in Nevada. The vegetation consists mostly of [[black sagebrush]] and [[creosote bush]]. It holds a sizable [[wild horse]] and [[burro]] population, closely monitored by the [[Bureau of Land Management]]. Common denizens of the TTR include the [[gray fox]], [[pronghorn]], [[coyote]], and [[mule deer]], along with the native birds [[sage thrasher]], [[sage grouse]], and [[sage sparrow]].<ref name="sandia2003" />
The TTR hosts a major airfield with a 12,000 ft runway and several hangars. Multiple abandoned WWII-era airstrips are scattered across the range, with only Mellan Airstrip—11 miles southeast—still operational for tactical transport training.
===Airfields===
=== Mancamp ===
<!-- redirect anchor -->
Located 6 miles north of the airfield, Mancamp is a housing and recreation facility featuring dormitories, a pool, fitness center, and sports facilities. Some infrastructure has been removed since 2000, but most of the site remains in use.
{{Main|Tonopah Test Range Airport}}
One of the primary facilities on the TTR is a large airfield ([[Area 10 (NTS)|Area 10]]), consisting of a {{convert|12000|ft|m|adj=on}} runway and numerous hangars. About five minor abandoned airfields exist throughout the TTR<ref>[https://www.airfieldsfreeman.com/NV/Airfields_NV_C.htm Abandoned & Little Known Airfields: Central Nevada], Paul Freeman, accessed 18 August 2010.</ref> which were primarily used during World War II by units based at [[Tonopah Army Air Field]] (now serving as Tonopah's municipal airport). Only '''Mellan Airstrip''', {{convert|11|mi}} southeast of Tonopah Test Range Airport, survived past the 1960s, upgraded to a {{convert|5000|ft|adj=on}} concrete runway. A US Air Force assessment published in 2000 indicated it was a minimally adequate airfield which was used to support tactical C-130 and C-17 training.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20021125145400/http://www.nellis.af.mil/pa/Cedarpass.htm Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Cedar Pass Airfield], 99 CES/CEVN, Nellis AFB, April 2000, accessed 18 August 2010.</ref>
===Mancamp===
=== Sandia Operations ===
About six miles (10 km) north of the airfield is a large housing area called Mancamp. It contains about 50 twin-level dormitories. A recreation center, houses, a bar, a library, game room, weight room, Olympic size indoor pool, racquetball courts, a two-lane bowling alley, a barbecue pad, and an ATM. There is also an athletic track, tennis courts, and softball fields. Just outside Mancamp a small civilian compound existed, but was mostly dismantled by 2000. Google Earth imagery indicated that Mancamp's streets were renovated sometime between 2003 and 2007.
The TTR Operations Control Center (Area 3) handles Sandia activities, with oversight for tests and safety monitoring using high-speed imaging and radar. While no nuclear detonations have occurred on-site, Project Rollercoaster in 1963 dispersed plutonium during weapons destruction exercises.
===Sandia National Laboratories===
== History ==
Operations by Sandia are controlled at the TTR Operations Control Center ([[Area 3 (NTS)|Area 3]]), just southeast of the main airfield, which houses the range safety officer, test director, and key engineers.<ref name="sandia2003" /> Activities are monitored with video, high-speed cameras, and radar tracking devices. Though nuclear weapons have never been detonated on the TTR, the 1963 test Project Rollercoaster involved the destruction of four weapons, which caused some plutonium to be dispersed into the soil north of Antelope Lake.<ref name="sandia2003" />
[[File:Wfm area51 map en.png|thumb|left|Map showing Tonopah Test Range and surrounding federal lands]]
Originally used for mining, the region was converted into a military range in 1956, with testing beginning in 1957. It replaced the haze-affected Salton Sea site as the Department of Energy’s preferred test range.
==History==
=== Constant Peg ===
[[File:Wfm area51 map en.png|thumb|left|Map showing Tonopah Test Range and related federal lands in southern Nevada]]
Between 1979 and 1988, Tonopah hosted the classified "Constant Peg" program, giving USAF pilots combat experience against Soviet aircraft including MiG-17s, MiG-21s, and MiG-23s. Operated by the 4477th Test & Evaluation Squadron ("Red Eagles"), the program was declassified in 2006.
In the early 20th century, the region was used primarily for mining and some grazing. Early maps from the 1930s indicated a roadway connecting the towns of [[Caliente, Nevada|Caliente]] and [[Tonopah, Nevada|Tonopah]] via [[Rachel, Nevada|Rachel]], which ascended Cedar Pass and crossed through the northern part of the future Tonopah Test Range.<ref>{{cite web |title=Regional Aeronautical Chart 11M, U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey |publisher=NOAA Historical Charts |url=http://www.historicalcharts.noaa.gov }}</ref> In 1940, President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] directed the establishment of a US Army Air Corps training range in this area. During the 1950s, weapons design research had been conducted largely at the [[Salton Sea]] testing base, but haze problems forced the Department of Energy to seek another location.<ref name="sandia2003" /> The Tonopah Test Range was withdrawn from public use in 1956, and testing began in 1957 for [[United States Department of Energy]] weapons programs. For most of its life, the range was administered by [[Sandia National Laboratories]]. In 2008, the National Nuclear Security Administration proposed to move its facilities on the Tonopah Test Range to [[White Sands Missile Range]],<ref>[http://www.lvrj.com/news/17044931.html Plan to close Tonopah Test Range criticized], Las Vegas Review Journal, March 27, 2008.</ref> a move that local and state politicians say would cost the area jobs and lost revenue.
===Constant Peg===
=== Stealth Operations ===
From 1979 to 1988, Tonopah hosted a [[Mikoyan|MiG]] air combat training program code named Constant Peg. The brainchild of Colonel [[Gail Peck]], the program was run by the [[4477th Test & Evaluation Squadron]], "Red Eagles", and allowed American aircrews the opportunity to fly – and to fly against – the fighter aircraft of their [[Cold War]] rivals. Constant Peg was formally declassified on November 15, 2006, though it had been discussed by name in various media since the mid-1980s. At the height of the operation, the Red Eagles flew 14 [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21]]s and 9 [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23]]s (with additional airframes of both types available for cannibalization), and had also operated the [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17]] until 1982, when the type proved too dangerous to continue flying.<ref name="RedEagles">{{cite book |title=Red Eagles: America's Secret MiGs |last=Davies |first=Steve |year=1988 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=978-1-84603-378-0 |url=http://www.constantpeg.com }}</ref> Between July 1979 and its final sortie in March 1988, 5,930 aircrew were exposed to Constant Peg.<ref name="RedEagles"/>
From 1982 to 1989, F-117 stealth fighters operated covertly from Tonopah before public acknowledgment. Shuttles linked Mancamp to the airfield and regular Janet flights transported personnel from Nellis and McCarran.
===Stealth===
=== Environmental Incidents ===
{{Further|topic=F-117 operations at the Tonopah Test Range|Tonopah Test Range Airport|Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk }}
In 1988, 61 horses died after a contractor dumped urea in a pond. Though fined, the incident resurfaced in 2007 amid groundwater concerns and whistleblower complaints to the EPA and Senator Harry Reid.
[[F-117]]s of the [[4450th Tactical Group]] operated from Tonopah in secret from 1982 through 1989 while the program was still classified. During this period Mancamp was connected to the airfield by shuttle bus service, while the airfield in turn was connected to [[Nellis Air Force Base]] by between five and twenty [[Key Air]] [[Boeing 727]] and/or [[Boeing 737]] flights per day from Nellis to Tonopah.<ref>{{cite news | title = Six F-117As Flown in Panama Invasion | work = [[Aviation Week & Space Technology]] | pages = 30 | publisher = McGraw Hill | date = March 5, 1990}}</ref> The airfield was also serviced by one or two [[Janet (airline)|Janet]] [[Boeing 737]] flights daily, which were presumably from [[McCarran International Airport]] and served [[Sandia National Laboratories]] employees. In early 1991, Key Air lost the contract and the service was taken over by [[American Trans Air]] Boeing 727 aircraft. Key Air departed directly from Nellis, AFB, and did not utilize McCarren International, as it was too far a distance from the base, and impractical.
===Contamination===
=== Foreign Missile Testing ===
It was revealed in 2007 that during the 1980s a contractor had dumped up to 1,000 pounds of [[urea]] at a pond on the TTR, resulting in the die-off of 61 horses in 1988.<ref>[http://www.lvrj.com/news/11783161.html CONTAMINATION PROBE: 61 horses died in '88 at test site], Las Vegas Review Journal, Nov. 24, 2007.</ref> The fluid had been used as a de-icing agent. The [[Bureau of Land Management]] investigated in November 1988, and imposed remedial actions and assessed a $15,000 fine. In 2007 over concerns that the chemical was infiltrating groundwater, a whistleblower unsuccessfully attempted to get the [[Environmental Protection Agency]] to intervene, leading to an August 2007 inquiry with the [[Department of the Interior]] by Senator [[Harry Reid]].
The TTR has hosted tests of Russian-made S-300PS SAM systems, acquired secretly for use in evaluating U.S. aircraft and UAV survivability. Units involved include the MQ-9, RQ-170, and F-35 under the 53rd Wing’s direction.
===S-300PS SAM testing===
== Popular Culture ==
The TTR has also been the site of US testing of foreign-made surface-to-air missile systems. Satellite imagery confirms the US secretly acquiring the Russian made [[S-300 (missile)#Land-based S-300P .28SA-10.29|S-300PS surface-to-air missile system]] from an unknown supplier in order to test UAVs as well as other advanced aircraft based at nearby airbases. According to [[OSGEOINT]], these bases include Creech Air Force Base, the Yucca Lake UAV testing facility, and Nellis Air Force Base, operating the [[General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper|MQ-9 Reaper]], [[Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel|RQ-170]], and the [[Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II|F-35 Joint Strike Fighter]] in addition to other aircraft. The testing of aircraft is executed under the direction of the 53rd Wing Test and Evaluation Group based at Nellis.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://osgeoint.blogspot.com/2011/12/us-acquires-russian-s-300-sam-system-to.html|title = US Acquired Russian S-300PS SAM System to Test UAVs |publisher = Osgeoint.blogspot.com |date = 11 December 2011}}</ref>
* Featured in Las Vegas Channel 8 and History Channel's *UFO Hunters*
* Referenced as Area 52 in *Stargate SG-1*, *Total Drama World Tour*, *Looney Tunes: Back in Action*, and *World of Warcraft*
* Musical reference in Camellia's album *U.U.F.O.*
==Popular culture==
== See Also ==
{{More citations needed section|date=July 2016}}
* [[Dugway Proving Ground]]
* Area 52 has been featured in newscasts by television stations such as [[KLAS-TV|KLAS]].<ref>[http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=7333994&nav=menu102_2_1 Las Vegas Channel 8 News story on Area 52] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527224247/http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=7333994&nav=menu102_2_1 |date=May 27, 2008 }}</ref>
* [[Aberdeen Proving Ground]]
* Area 52 has also been featured on [[History (U.S. TV channel)|The History Channel]]'s ''[[UFO Hunters]]'',<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOAKD0yMTnQ Video of History Channel's UFO Hunters Area 52 episode] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012142357/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOAKD0yMTnQ |date=October 12, 2014 }}</ref> in which it is speculated to facilitate the use of highly advanced aircraft technology, including craft such as [[flying saucer]]s or [[Unidentified flying object|UFO]]s.
* [[Air Force Flight Test Center]]
* In the television series ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'', ''Area 52'' is actually the US Treasury's code designation for [[Stargate Command]].
* [[Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake]]
* In an episode of ''[[Total Drama World Tour]]'', Area 52 is visited right before the contestants get to Area 51.
* [[Nevada Test Site]]
* In the [[Warner Bros. Cartoons|Warner Bros.]] movie [[Looney Tunes: Back in Action|''Looney Tunes Back in Action'']], [[Bugs Bunny]] and [[Daffy Duck]] visit a secret military base in the [[Great Basin Desert|Nevada Desert]], used mainly as a storage for [[Extraterrestrial life|extraterrestrial]] lifeforms and technology and government secrets, called Area 52. In the movie, this base is the "real" [[Area 51]], and the name "Area 51" is only a [[Official cover|cover]] for Area 52.
* In the popular MMORPG ''[[World of Warcraft]]'', Area 52 is a playable area within the game where the player-controlled avatar may visit and participate in various activities. Located throughout the area are various pop-culture references to Area 51, [[Extraterrestrial life|extraterrestrial]] lifeforms, the ''[[Men in Black (franchise)]]'', and ''[[Star Trek]]''. Further, there is a [[World of Warcraft#Gameplay|realm]] bearing the same name.
* Area 52 was also a music reference created by Camellia in an album called U.U.F.O.
==See also==
== External Links ==
*[[Dugway Proving Ground]]
* [http://www.sandia.gov/locations/tonopah_test_range.html Sandia Labs – Official TTR Page]
*[[Aberdeen Proving Ground]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20030906193000/http://astronautix.com/sites/tonopah.htm Astronautix – Suborbital launches at TTR]
*[[Air Force Flight Test Center]]
* [http://www.dreamlandresort.com/info/tonopah.htm Dreamland Resort – Photos and Info]
*[[Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake]]
*[[Nevada Test Site]]
==References==
{{Reflist|35em}}
==External links==
{{Commons category|Tonopah Test Range}}
*[http://www.sandia.gov/locations/tonopah_test_range.html Sandia National Laboratories - Tonopah Test Range official web site]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20030906193000/http://astronautix.com/sites/tonopah.htm Astronautix' page on suborbital rocket launches from TTR]
*[http://www.dreamlandresort.com/info/tonopah.htm Dreamland Resort's page on TTR, with photos and maps]
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:United States Department of Energy]]
[[Category:United States Department of Energy]]
[[Category:Installations of the United States Air Force in Nevada]]
[[Category:Installations of the United States Air Force in Nevada]]
[[Category:Landmarks in Nevada]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Nye County, Nevada]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Nye County, Nevada]]
[[Category:1957 establishments in Nevada]]
[[Category:1957 establishments in Nevada]]
[[Category:Defunct airports in Nevada]]
[[Category:Defunct airports in Nevada]]
Latest revision as of 09:42, 10 April 2025
Tonopah airbase and the surrounding test range (NASA Landsat-7 composite)
Though less famous than Area 51, Tonopah is significant in classified aircraft development, nuclear stockpile stewardship, and military R&D. Its airspace—restricted area R-4809—is frequently used for advanced flight testing and military operations.
The TTR hosts a major airfield with a 12,000 ft runway and several hangars. Multiple abandoned WWII-era airstrips are scattered across the range, with only Mellan Airstrip—11 miles southeast—still operational for tactical transport training.
Mancamp
Located 6 miles north of the airfield, Mancamp is a housing and recreation facility featuring dormitories, a pool, fitness center, and sports facilities. Some infrastructure has been removed since 2000, but most of the site remains in use.
Sandia Operations
The TTR Operations Control Center (Area 3) handles Sandia activities, with oversight for tests and safety monitoring using high-speed imaging and radar. While no nuclear detonations have occurred on-site, Project Rollercoaster in 1963 dispersed plutonium during weapons destruction exercises.
History
Map showing Tonopah Test Range and surrounding federal lands
Originally used for mining, the region was converted into a military range in 1956, with testing beginning in 1957. It replaced the haze-affected Salton Sea site as the Department of Energy’s preferred test range.
Constant Peg
Between 1979 and 1988, Tonopah hosted the classified "Constant Peg" program, giving USAF pilots combat experience against Soviet aircraft including MiG-17s, MiG-21s, and MiG-23s. Operated by the 4477th Test & Evaluation Squadron ("Red Eagles"), the program was declassified in 2006.
Stealth Operations
From 1982 to 1989, F-117 stealth fighters operated covertly from Tonopah before public acknowledgment. Shuttles linked Mancamp to the airfield and regular Janet flights transported personnel from Nellis and McCarran.
Environmental Incidents
In 1988, 61 horses died after a contractor dumped urea in a pond. Though fined, the incident resurfaced in 2007 amid groundwater concerns and whistleblower complaints to the EPA and Senator Harry Reid.
Foreign Missile Testing
The TTR has hosted tests of Russian-made S-300PS SAM systems, acquired secretly for use in evaluating U.S. aircraft and UAV survivability. Units involved include the MQ-9, RQ-170, and F-35 under the 53rd Wing’s direction.
Popular Culture
Featured in Las Vegas Channel 8 and History Channel's *UFO Hunters*
Referenced as Area 52 in *Stargate SG-1*, *Total Drama World Tour*, *Looney Tunes: Back in Action*, and *World of Warcraft*
