Weather control, ‘exotic energy weapons’ and meetings with aliens – the most bizarre Area 51 conspiracy theories revealed
AREA 51 remains shrouded in mystery after more than six decades of secretive tests at the site.
It’s no wonder, then, that the military facility in Nevada has spawned a number of wacky conspiracy theories.
From a production site for ‘exotic weapons’ to meetings with extraterrestrials, we’ve put together some of the weirdest below.
UFO testing
Area 51 has long been rumoured to be America’s main base for testing captured and crashed UFOs.
At the heart of this theory is the Roswell Incident.
This was in 1947 when an occupied flying saucer was allegedly recovered from a crash site near the New Mexico town.
The UFO and its inhabitants were said to have been taken to Area 51.
The 1996 documentary Dreamland featured a 71-year-old mechanical engineer who claimed he worked on a flying disc simulator used to train US pilots.
It was based on a crashed extraterrestrial flying saucer, according to the film.
But others who have worked there say testing of captured aircraft was restricted to Soviet-built MiG fighters.
What is Area 51? The top secret US air base steeped in extra-terrestrial intrigue
AREA 51 is a highly classified US air base in the remote Nevada desert.
It is officially known as Homey Airport, but gained its now famous name from CIA documents that referred to it by the codename Area 51.
The exact purpose of the air base is not known publicly, and the area is heavily restricted.
Trespassers can face huge fines and lengthy prison sentences for setting foot in the zone.
Purchased by the US government in 1955, evidence suggests the site is used as a testing area for experimental aircraft and weapons.
But the secrecy surrounding it has led conspiracy theorists to suggest the area is holding extra-terrestrial secrets.
Theories suggest engineers examine crashed spacecrafts — and even hold meetings with aliens from across the galaxy.
The crash of a weather balloon at Roswell, New Mexico in 1947 sparked wild theories of an alien ship crash.
Some have suggested Area 51 is still storing parts of the crashed ship — or even its alien inhabitants.
Rumours increased when the base was used to test Oxcart, the code name for the CIA-ordered Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance plane.
Annie Jacobsen, author of the book Area 51: An Uncensored History Of America’s Top Secret Military Base, explains: “The shape of Oxcart was unprecedented, with its wide disc-like fuselage designed to carry vast quantities of fuel.
“Commercial pilots cruising over Nevada at dusk would look up and see the bottom of Oxcart whizz by at 2,000-plus mph.
“The aircraft’s titanium body, moving as fast as a bullet, would reflect the sun’s rays in a way that could make anyone think: ‘UFO!'”
Dissections of dead aliens and interrogations of living ones are also said to have been carried out at Area 51.
There is, however, no evidence to support this claim.
‘Weather control’
Huge areas of the US suffer water shortages.
There are frequent disputes between farmers, ranchers and householders over access to water for irrigation, animals and domestic uses such as filling swimming pools and watering lawns.
Meteorologists at Area 51 are thought to have experimented with cloud seeding, where chemicals are dropped into clouds from planes to try to make them produce rain.
A separate section is said to have tried producing hurricanes and storms that could be directed at enemy countries.
The ‘Majestic 12’
The Majestic 12 is a purported committee of US scientists, military leaders, politicians and civil servants.
According to conspiracy nuts, the shadowy group was created by President Harry Truman to manage alien investigations.
Area 51 was supposedly a key location for the Majestic 12’s activities, which vary wildly depending on who you ask.
Alien-hunters seem to think the group played a big role in examining the alleged alien specimen linked to the 1947 Roswell incident.
There is no concrete proof the Majestic 12 ever existed.
‘Energy weapons’
Synonymous with claims of alien tech autopsies at Area 51 are suggestions that scientists built futuristic weapons with what they found.
From lasers that can vaporise a man in seconds to time travel gadgets, stories of machines built using alien tech stretch as far as the imagination can go.
Again, there’s no evidence this tech ever existed.
Future transport
Area 51 is said to be the centre hub for an underground rail system that crosses the whole continent of North America.
A runway known as the Cheshire Airstrip — named in honour of Lewis Carroll’s disappearing Cheshire cat from Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland — is believed to be visible only when water is sprayed on its cunningly camouflaged tarmac.
There certainly are extensive underground facilities at Area 51, many ex-employees have testified to this, but they say claims of a huge underground railway are lies.
They also point out that satellite photos show easily identifiable airstrips at Groom Lake, removing any need for a secret one.
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Area 51 is one of many US military bases shrouded in mystery.
A hidden military base from the 1860s was recently found buried beneath Alcatraz prison.
A skywatcher last week caught a rare glimpse of a secretive space plane owned by the US Air Force.
What do you think Area 51 is used for? Let us know in the comments!
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