Left: The first F-117
(serial 79-10780)
made its maiden
flight from Groom
Lake, doing so on
June 18, 1981, with
Hal Farley at the
controls. Lockheed
Above: Nothing
is known about
the events and
programs that
have been run
out in the Nevada
desert lately, such
is the secrecy
there. Boeing’s Bird
of Prey was test
flown in the 1990s
and revealed
in 2002, and it
represents one of
the most recently
known projects
taking place
at Groom Lake.
Boeing22 September 2019 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net
jut upwards from the Mojave Desert
floor, with more than 30 of the peaks
climbing higher than 11,000ft. The base
in question is surrounded by a ring
of those mountains, including those
contained in the Groom, Timpahute and
Pahranagat ranges.
The base is owned and run by the US
Department of Energy, in conjunction
with the DoD and other federal agencies.
There is a contracted air carrier that
shuttles personnel to and from Las
Vegas. In 1995, the government acquired
additional landmass to the east of the
facility to increase the buffer zone —keeping curious folks with high-powered
optical devices at bay. Several lawsuits
were filed against the government
relating to that land acquisition, and
others about specific activities. A dizzying
number of Freedom Of Information Act
(FOIA) requests have been filed in hopes
of learning something, or even anything,
about what is currently happening
out there.
The USAF is well aware of the proposed
storming event. They will not elaborate
on plans in place or their tactics,
techniques and procedures relating to a
massive bipedal incursion into the NTTR.‘We would discourage anyone from
trying to come into the area where we
train American armed forces,’ Laura
McAndrews, spokeswoman for the USAF,
said recently. ‘The US Air Force always
stands ready to protect America and
its assets.’
The perimeter of the facilities near
Groom Lake are closely monitored by
both passive and active surveillance
measures. A force of government
contractors is responsible for physically
securing it. The identity of the company
that manages said contract is subject to
much speculation, but at the end of the
day, it is not disclosed information and is,
quite honestly, irrelevant.
What is important to note is these
contractors are well armed, well trained,
and take their job very seriously — and
well they should. Some of the most
closely held secrets in the US military
are tied to this base and have been for
decades. Unpopular point of fact? What
happens at the base is truly no one’s
business, except for those who work
out there.
These are the unsung heroes
responsible for keeping America’s military
ahead of its enemies. Leave them alone.
Let them do their work. If you’re planning
on paying them a visit in September I’d
suggest you think again — you’ll find no
mercy out in the Nevada desert.20-22 Ops Desk C.indd 22 18/07/2019 13:46