Tonopah Test Range (Area 51-A)
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Tonopah Test Range, also know as Area 51-A, is a military installation located about 30 miles southeast of Tonopah, Nevada. It is part of the northern fringe of the Nellis Range and is inaccessible to the public. The Tonopah Test Range measures 625 miles² in size. Tonopah Test Range is located about 70 miles northwest of Groom Dry Lake, home of the Area 51 facility.
It was opened in 1957 as a testing site for United States Department of Energy weapons programs, and for most of its life it was administered by Sandia National Laboratories.
From 1977-1988 the range hosted a Mig air combat training program code named Constant Peg that was not made public 'officially' until November 15, 2006, although it had been discussed by name in different Internet military forums as early as mid-2004. As many as 25 Migs were involved in the training including Mig-17s, Mig-21s, and Mig-23s.[1]. It is believed that since the end of the Constant Peg program Mig-25s, Mig-29s and SU-27s have also operated from Tonopah for testing and evaluation flights as well.
F-117's operated from Tonopah in secret from 1982 through 1989 while the F-117 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 five to twenty Key Air Boeing 727 flights per day from Nellis to Tonopah. The airfield was also serviced by one or two JANET Boeing 737 flights daily, which were presumably from McCarran International Airport and served Sandia National Laboratories employees.
It was opened in 1957 as a testing site for United States Department of Energy weapons programs, and for most of its life it was administered by Sandia National Laboratories.
From 1977-1988 the range hosted a Mig air combat training program code named Constant Peg that was not made public 'officially' until November 15, 2006, although it had been discussed by name in different Internet military forums as early as mid-2004. As many as 25 Migs were involved in the training including Mig-17s, Mig-21s, and Mig-23s.[1]. It is believed that since the end of the Constant Peg program Mig-25s, Mig-29s and SU-27s have also operated from Tonopah for testing and evaluation flights as well.
F-117's operated from Tonopah in secret from 1982 through 1989 while the F-117 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 five to twenty Key Air Boeing 727 flights per day from Nellis to Tonopah. The airfield was also serviced by one or two JANET Boeing 737 flights daily, which were presumably from McCarran International Airport and served Sandia National Laboratories employees.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonopah_Test_Range
Nearby cities:
Coordinates: 37°42'27"N 116°35'22"W
- Tonopah Auxiliary Army Airfield 5 4.3 km
- Tonopah Auxiliary Army Airfield 3 10 km
- Site 4 - Tonopah Test Range 12 km
- Mock up airfield 32 km
- Target circle 37 km
- Target circle 39 km
- Pahute Mesa 39 km
- Nevada Test and Training Range 49 km
- "Camembert" 51 km
- "Sled" 55 km
- Antelope Lake 5360 ft. 7.4 km
- mock airfield 21 km
- Gold Flat 26 km
- Practice Bombing Target Circle 29 km
- Kawich Valley 39 km
- Mock airfield target used in Red Flag exercises 46 km
- Area 19 and Area 20 47 km
- Area 12 Camp 69 km
- Area 2 Support Facility Site 75 km
- Yucca Flat 84 km
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