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.
Introduction
Nellis Air Force Base has been a test site and base for several military aircraft. The U-2 was one of the earliest planes tested here, as were others. However, because these planes were developed before World War II ended, they only had a little impact on combat until the Vietnam War. Nellis Air Force Base has also been home to some of the most innovative aircraft designs in history: stealth fighters like the F-117A Stealth Fighter and B-1B Lancer; strike eagles like the F-15E Strike Eagle; and finally—in 2020—the first operational squadron of F-22A Raptor fighter jets will be based there!
Introduction
Nellis Air Force Base is located in the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada. Nellis AFB is the home of the United States Air Force Warfare Center and the 57th Wing (57 W.G.). The host unit at Nellis AFB is the 57th F.W. which employs more than 28,000 people. There are over 87 units located on this base. It includes a variety of large aircraft, including F-5s, F-16Cs/Ds, and A-10Cs, as well as significant support equipment, such as tankers used for refueling during air operations.
The U-2 Dragon Lady can be seen flying around this area daily depending on weather conditions and wind direction. Visitors must stay behind the fences provided at each end of Runway 07/25 because they are within restricted airspace where unauthorized persons could be shot down without warning by air defense systems within range.
The U-2
- The U-2 is a single-seat, single-engine high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. It’s used for intelligence gathering and surveillance.
- The U-2 was first used by the United States in 1955 during the Cold War when it flew over Russia to take photos of military sites and activities to give the U.S. an advantage over the Soviet Union.
Legacy of the U-2
The U-2 is a long-range, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft that Lockheed Martin developed. It was first flown in 1955 and remains in use today.
In this section, we’ll talk about the following:
- The history of the U-2
- How it’s used today
The F-16 Fighting Falcon
The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine, multi-role fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics. It was designed to be used by the United States Air Force and has been used by the air forces of over 20 other nations.
The F-16 was introduced in January 1974 due to the “Lightweight Fighter” competition created by the Air Staff in 1965 to replace tired fighter jets like the F-100 Super Sabre and F-105 Thunderchief. Two prototypes were built, one by Convair and another by General Dynamics; both companies were later contracted to produce competing production versions of their prototypes for use against each other in competitive testing under Project Fighter II at Edwards Air Force Base from 1969–1971 (see Project Vanguard). During this period, General Dynamics partnered with Pratt & Whitney for an alternate engine for their design, which became known as YF-16 since it had won its competition against Northrop’s YF-17 Cobra series. Both prototypes were armed with M61 Vulcan cannons: one pointed towards each wing tip but angled slightly outward so that when it fired straight ahead, it would not hit any part of either wingtip or fuselage directly behind them, thus ensuring maximum accuracy while also preventing damage should there be some malfunction during flight tests due to overuse or misfire on purpose to test durability—yet another safety feature included as part of operational requirements set forth before ever taking off into actual combat conditions.”
The F-117A Stealth Fighter
The F-117A Stealth Fighter was designed by Northrop and designated as the F-117A. It made its first flight in 1981 and is a single-seat aircraft with a wingspan of 32 feet and a length of 49 feet. The height is 12 feet, while the maximum takeoff weight is 60,000 pounds.
The stealth fighter has only one engine that provides 28,000 pounds of thrust. Its weapons include an internal Gatling gun (an automatic weapon) called GAU 19/A 25mm cannon; four AIM 9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles (two on each side); two AGM 65 Maverick air-to-ground missiles (one under each Wing); two M.K. 82 250lb bombs or four GBU laser-guided bombs; two LAU 70 rocket launchers on each side with four 70mm rockets per launcher.
The F-15E Strike Eagle
The F-15E Strike Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. The F-15E was developed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing) during the 1970s as an evolution of the F-15 Eagle. The Strike Eagle is powered by two Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 or 229 turbofan engines with afterburners mounted on its wings.
The aircraft’s maiden flight occurred in December 1986, and entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 1988. The Strike Eagle’s superior maneuverability and combat radius allow it to outfight enemy fighters while providing close air support for ground forces or interdicting enemy aircraft trying to attack ground targets outside their range.
In 1990, one year into Operation Desert Storm (the Gulf War), an Iraqi Su-25 Frogfoot was shot down by an American pilot flying a pair of F15Es without any prior warning or radio contact between them!
The B-1B Lancer
The B-1B Lancer is a long-range, multi-mission, supersonic variable-sweep Wing heavy bomber. Its first flight was in 1987, and it was first deployed in 1990. It was upgraded in the late 1990s to carry more bombs and fly higher than ever. After 9/11, the B-1B was deployed to Afghanistan to take part in Operation Enduring Freedom, which flew over 500 missions over Afghanistan and dropped 20 tons of ordnance on Taliban targets at Bagram Airfield.
The F-22A Raptor
The F-22A Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter jet developed by Lockheed Martin for the United States Air Force. It is designed for U.S. and allied air superiority and ground strike missions.
F-22A Raptor first flight: September 7, 1997
First test flight: January 9, 1992
First production model: October 7, 2005
First combat mission: September 27, 2014
First air-to-air kill (first combat): December 22, 2015
Nellis Air Force Base has been a test site and base for several military aircraft.
Nellis Air Force Base is an active United States Air Force base located in southern Nevada, northeast of Las Vegas. It is considered the home of the United States Air Force Warfare Center, and its primary aircraft is the F-35 Lightning II and F-15 Eagle.
Nellis AFB was founded as Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field on May 12, 1941. In 1942, it was renamed Nellis Army Flying School to honor Major Player P. Nellis, who was killed in a World War I aircraft accident at McCook Field, Ohio, on March 27, 1918; he had been attending pilot training in San Diego, California when he died at age 21 years old when his Curtiss JN-4C (Canuck) crashed into Lake Michigan after taking off from Chicago’s Great Lakes Naval Training Station during stormy weather conditions which were blamed for causing an engine failure leading to loss of control while trying to land back at Great Lakes where most students went through their initial training before graduating onto more advanced courses elsewhere but not so much here since there wasn’t much else available locally except maybe some basic ground school classes (which weren’t required).
Conclusion
Nellis Air Force Base has been an important site for the U.S. military. The U-2, F-15E, and F-22A are just a few of the many aircraft tested at Nellis Air Force Base.
