Manzano Base
USA /
New Mexico /
Carnuel /
World
/ USA
/ New Mexico
/ Carnuel
World / United States / New Mexico
military, nuclear waste storage
A portion of America's nuclear stockpile was stored here for forty years. They are now stored in the Kirtland Underground Storage Munitions Complex, seen on this map to the left.
Construction on Site Able began in June 1947 and the facility became operational in 1950, although the work was not completed until 1961. On 22 February 1952 Site Able was renamed Manzano Base, and operated by the Air Force.
A presidential emergency relocation center was built deep inside Manzano Mountain as a command post for President Eisenhower. It retained this function until the advent of thermonuclear weapons, by which time it was no longer regarded as a survivable site.
Construction began in June 1947, and the facility became operational in April 1950. Under the top-secret project designated Operation Water Supply, construction crews carved out tunnels and blast-proof underground steel vaults to protect the small stockpile of atomic weapons. The first weapons stored at Manzano were the Mark 5, a first-generation atomic device which required assembly. The weapons were stored without plutonium, in reinforced concrete and steel bunkers throughout Manzano. Inside the complex, steel gates protected a hallway containing four chambers guarded with heavy safe door. Each vault stored a protective container called a birdcage, each of which enclosed enough plutonium for a single atomic warhead.
On 11 April 1950 a B-29 aircraft departed from Kirtland Air Force Base [Albuquerque, NM] at 9:38 PM and crashed into a mountain on Manzano Base approximately three minutes later, killing the crew of thirteen. Detonators were installed in the bomb on board the aircraft. The bomb case was demolished and some high explosive (HE) material burned in the gasoline fire. Other pieces of unburned HE were scattered throughout the wreckage. Four spare detonators in their carrying case were recovered undamaged. There were no contamination or recovery problems. The recovered components of the weapon were returned to the Atomic Energy Commission. Both the weapon and the capsule of nuclear material were on board the aircraft but the capsule was not inserted for safety reasons.
The Manzano Nuclear Weapons Storage Area was surrounded by a barbed double-fenceline (one of which was electrified) beyond which the concrete bunker entrances which span the base of the mountain range are visible.
The Manzano Weapons Storage Area [Manzano WSA] at KAFB consists of four plants inside Manzano Mountain (used primarily for research activities) and 122 magazines, of which 81 are earth covered and 41 are tunneled into the mountainside. Type D facilities are tunneled into the mountainside, which provides significant earth overburden protection from penetrating aircraft. As many as 35 magazines have overburden greater than nine meters (30 feet) and are potentially available for pit storage.
Type D facilities are tunneled into the mountainside, which provides significant earth overburden protection. As many as 35 magazines have overburden greater than nine meters (30 feet). Type D magazines have access tunnels that vary in length from 20 meters to over 30 meters (65 feet to over 100 feet). The main chambers are approximately 19 meters (61 feet) long. In addition, the main chambers are protected by two vault-like steel doors at both ends of the access tunnel.
In June 1992, the Manzano WSA was deactivated, including deactivation of the Perimeter Intrusion Detection and Alarm System, and Phillips Laboratory assumed responsibility for its maintenance. SNL continues to provide minimum security, although the Perimeter Intrusion Detection and Alarm System was deactivated with the termination of the main mission in 1992. Some of the old tunnels and vaults in the Manzanos still serve as storage. The Manzano WSA is currently being used in part for storage of a variety of items such as furniture and document boxes.
Construction on Site Able began in June 1947 and the facility became operational in 1950, although the work was not completed until 1961. On 22 February 1952 Site Able was renamed Manzano Base, and operated by the Air Force.
A presidential emergency relocation center was built deep inside Manzano Mountain as a command post for President Eisenhower. It retained this function until the advent of thermonuclear weapons, by which time it was no longer regarded as a survivable site.
Construction began in June 1947, and the facility became operational in April 1950. Under the top-secret project designated Operation Water Supply, construction crews carved out tunnels and blast-proof underground steel vaults to protect the small stockpile of atomic weapons. The first weapons stored at Manzano were the Mark 5, a first-generation atomic device which required assembly. The weapons were stored without plutonium, in reinforced concrete and steel bunkers throughout Manzano. Inside the complex, steel gates protected a hallway containing four chambers guarded with heavy safe door. Each vault stored a protective container called a birdcage, each of which enclosed enough plutonium for a single atomic warhead.
On 11 April 1950 a B-29 aircraft departed from Kirtland Air Force Base [Albuquerque, NM] at 9:38 PM and crashed into a mountain on Manzano Base approximately three minutes later, killing the crew of thirteen. Detonators were installed in the bomb on board the aircraft. The bomb case was demolished and some high explosive (HE) material burned in the gasoline fire. Other pieces of unburned HE were scattered throughout the wreckage. Four spare detonators in their carrying case were recovered undamaged. There were no contamination or recovery problems. The recovered components of the weapon were returned to the Atomic Energy Commission. Both the weapon and the capsule of nuclear material were on board the aircraft but the capsule was not inserted for safety reasons.
The Manzano Nuclear Weapons Storage Area was surrounded by a barbed double-fenceline (one of which was electrified) beyond which the concrete bunker entrances which span the base of the mountain range are visible.
The Manzano Weapons Storage Area [Manzano WSA] at KAFB consists of four plants inside Manzano Mountain (used primarily for research activities) and 122 magazines, of which 81 are earth covered and 41 are tunneled into the mountainside. Type D facilities are tunneled into the mountainside, which provides significant earth overburden protection from penetrating aircraft. As many as 35 magazines have overburden greater than nine meters (30 feet) and are potentially available for pit storage.
Type D facilities are tunneled into the mountainside, which provides significant earth overburden protection. As many as 35 magazines have overburden greater than nine meters (30 feet). Type D magazines have access tunnels that vary in length from 20 meters to over 30 meters (65 feet to over 100 feet). The main chambers are approximately 19 meters (61 feet) long. In addition, the main chambers are protected by two vault-like steel doors at both ends of the access tunnel.
In June 1992, the Manzano WSA was deactivated, including deactivation of the Perimeter Intrusion Detection and Alarm System, and Phillips Laboratory assumed responsibility for its maintenance. SNL continues to provide minimum security, although the Perimeter Intrusion Detection and Alarm System was deactivated with the termination of the main mission in 1992. Some of the old tunnels and vaults in the Manzanos still serve as storage. The Manzano WSA is currently being used in part for storage of a variety of items such as furniture and document boxes.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates: 35°0'51"N 106°29'34"W
- Kirtland Air Force Base (ABQ/KABQ) 12 km
- White Sands Missile Range 135 km
- Holloman Air Force Base 217 km
- Rocket Sled Track - Holloman Air Base 223 km
- NASA White Sands Space Harbor 225 km
- Melrose Air Force Range 256 km
- White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) 274 km
- Camp MacGregor 320 km
- McGregor Range Complex 331 km
- Pantex Plant 445 km
- Four Hills 4.6 km
- Carnuel, New Mexico 7.4 km
- Lomas Garden 7.6 km
- GCC Rio Grande Cement Company 10 km
- Cedar Crest, New Mexico 15 km
- Tanoan Community 16 km
- Sandia Heights 18 km
- Sandia Mountains 20 km
- Manzano Mountians 28 km
- Cedar Grove, New Mexico 35 km
Comments