We All Know Of Area 51. What About The Other Areas?

a reply to: B2StealthBomber

Woomera.

originally posted by: Sillyosaurus
a reply to: Shadowhawk

I wonder if the Nevada spot is the same as "the farm". My grandfather would call it that. He was an engineer on the sr71. He said most of the super secret government aviation tests are done there.

Right church - wrong pew.

I think you meant "the ranch".

The Farm is usually either Langley or Quantico depending upon who you talk too...

a reply to: Zaphod58

Let's see...as far as a general rundown:
Groom Lake(Area51) seems to be for testing and development of advanced and/or experimental sensitive aircraft? Dugway proving grounds is what it sounds like, a proving ground to test aircraft that are moving toward operational status? China lake is missiles? Tonopah Test Range? Is that missiles and rockets only, or other weapons too, or are aircraft also tested there? White Sands is also used for missile/rocket testing as well, is it not?

I've heard rumors of something in Alaska and/or Canada, because who's going to go all the way up there into the bush? Not only dealing with inhospitable weather for the winter (even the base may be considered seasonal in operation), but a region that is more remote and unpopulated than Nevada. The closest populated areas might be the where oilfield or tar sands operations are going on, but that's still pushing the definition of close.

a reply to: TheBadCabbie

Dugway is a weapons testing area. They test precision guided munitions as well as certify aircraft for weapons. The F-35A just started dropping weapons there.

TTR has various classified aircraft. They have multiple setups for testing there, as well as testing with aircraft out of Nellis and Fallon.

originally posted by: pauljs75
I've heard rumors of something in Alaska and/or Canada, because who's going to go all the way up there into the bush? Not only dealing with inhospitable weather for the winter (even the base may be considered seasonal in operation), but a region that is more remote and unpopulated than Nevada. The closest populated areas might be the where oilfield or tar sands operations are going on, but that's still pushing the definition of close.

The funny thing about a good remote base is that you don't want it too remote. The early atomic bomb testing was done in the Pacific, but travel time was a pain in the arse, hence the creation of the Nevada Test Site.

The General Atomics test facilities are remote, but only about 30 minutes from Palmdale/Lancaster area.

The town of Tonopah had a Radio Shack with more components than any Radio Shack I've ever seen. Turns out the TTR workers would get parts there.

So my point is you want remote, but you don't want really really remote for your test facilities.