This 16-part blog series will delve into the history, mission, and mysteries of Nellis Air Force Base. We will investigate this enigmatic military outpost from its opening in 1941. We’ll look at the base’s numerous military functions and the various conspiracy theories surrounding it. We will also investigate the multiple reports of UFO sightings and extraterrestrial encounters in the area. Join us as we explore Area 51’s mysteries and find the truth about this enigmatic military outpost.
Area 51 President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Project Aquatone
Introduction
President Dwight Eisenhower authorized the Aquatone Air Force project in 1953. The project was supposed to be kept secret, but you may be more familiar with it as the U-2 spy plane. Although the President was aware that he would have to give up part of his privacy for this top-secret mission, there were some aspects of the operation that even he couldn’t keep hidden. In this blog article, I’ll go through some of those secrets and how they apply to our newest area 51 exhibit:
Eisenhower authorized the Air Force to create a supersonic aircraft capable of carrying a two-person crew and remaining in the atmosphere at up to 70,000 feet in his general orders.
Eisenhower authorized the Air Force to create a supersonic aircraft capable of carrying a two-person crew and remaining in the atmosphere at up to 70,000 feet in his general orders. This was a lofty ambition for an airplane that had never been built. However, years of research and development by Boeing and Bell Helicopter Textron (a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin) resulted in the creation of what became known as “the Blackbird”—the world’s first stealth bomber—in late 1959.
The President was so intent on keeping it a secret that he only referred to Area 51 by its number, 51.
President Eisenhower was a private man who wanted to make sure others knew about the initiative. He tried to keep it hidden. The President was so intent on keeping it a secret that he only referred to Area 51 by its number, 51.
They were known as U-2s when the project was declassified in 1966.
U-2s were still classified in the early 1950s and thus could not be mentioned in official publications. So they were dubbed “Aquatones” to conceal their true purpose. The name was chosen because it sounded close to Aquanaut and because these planes glided like dolphins through the air—almost as if they were flying underwater! Because the word “Aquatone” can also refer to someone loyal to their wife (uxorious), this nickname has an intriguing double meaning!
The project was also known as glider 1514.
Glider 1514 was also the project’s cover name. Aquatone was the name of the project. It was known as Project Aquatone. It was known as the U-2 spy plane.
He ordered each plane to be given a code name for added protection.
“The goal of this program,” he said, “is to offer the greatest available UFO information and intelligence so that we can defend ourselves if they attack.”
He ordered that each plane be given a code name to keep the project covert and secure. The first was named “Samos” after a Greek island where US astronauts trained for their first spacewalks, while others were named after Greek deities like Hermes or Apollo.
Aside from the enigma surrounding his nickname, Eisenhower had a history with flying machines and military code names.
Aside from the enigma surrounding his nickname, Eisenhower had a history with flying machines and military code names.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, as you may know, was a five-star general and the 34th President of the United States from 1953 to 1961. But he was also an ardent aviator, having flown many different types of aircraft (including gliders) before joining the United States Army Air Corps during World War II.
Before Project Aquatone’s commencement, President Eisenhower was involved in inventing various code names for military activities, including “Operation Overflight” (a 1952 plan for reconnaissance aircraft over Russia) and “Operation Pluto” (a 1944 proposal for building underground bases). As part of this tradition, Director Jacobson advised that they use the moniker “Aquatone” when referring to their new project at Area 51 (which now featured two U-2 prototypes).
When Eisenhower first saw the U-2 model, he observed that it looked like an Aquatone and even proposed his code name.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower took up a replica of the U-2 spy plane for the first time on his penultimate day in office and claimed it looked like an “Aquatone.” Suppose you’ve never heard of Aquatone. In that case, you’re not alone: they were created briefly by Kodak during World War II to offer airborne surveillance without endangering human lives—and they were also called after a famous brand of children’s slide projectors.
Eisenhower had been obsessed with flying saucers and other strange flying objects by 1955, the same year JPL was founded (UFOs). He even created Area 51, a secret outpost in Nevada. The President’s fondness for code names dates back to his time as an army officer and commander-in-chief of the Allied Forces during World War II.
He would have been familiar not just with Aquatone but also with military code names.
In the military, code names are employed to protect information. Anyone can make them up, but the President must authorize them. Code names are used for various purposes, including project and operation designations.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower would have been familiar with code names because he served as Supreme Commander of Allied Forces during World War II, where he oversaw the D-Day invasion of Normandy Beach on June 6th, 1944, as well as Operation Overlord—the most significant combined land, sea, and air assault in history, involving over 5 million troops from 16 nations, which ultimately resulted in victory over Nazi Germany’s Third Reich regime led by Adolf Hitler.
Conclusion
The U-2, with its high altitude and ability to fly unnoticed over the Soviet Union, was a crucial aspect of Eisenhower’s Cold War strategy. Due to cost constraints, the Aquatone was never produced as a replacement for the current reconnaissance aircraft.
