Video: How Area 51 protects its secrets

Area 51. A place of mystery and wonder since its creation back in the 1950s. Rumored to house anything from aliens to high-tech nuclear weapons, Area 51 has long fascinated the public.

“Nestled deep within the Air Force’s Nevada Test and Training Range, the remote and highly classified facility we’ve come to know as Area 51 has been the heart of secretive American aircraft programs – and a fair bit of modern folklore – for more than a half-century now,” Alex Hollings, the Editor-in-Chief of Sandboxx News and host of AirPower on YouTube, said in a recent video.

The U.S. military uses Area 51 to test and develop its newest and most advanced weapon systems and aircraft. For example, the specialized MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters with stealth capabilities flown by the U.S. Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment “The Night Stalkers” in the mission to kill Osama bin Laden were developed and tested in Area 51.

Very likely the U.S. military enjoys – if not encourages – the conspiracy theories around Area 51. If everyone is talking about aliens and their spaceships they aren’t paying attention to the development of high-end weapon systems and platforms for military purposes. But some countries, do pay attention and have used satellites and other means to spy on Area 51. Therefore, Area 51 personnel developed clever ways to trick spying eyes.

In the video above, watch Alex explain the methods Area 51 personnel have used to keep the facility’s secrets hidden even from spy satellites and aircraft in low-earth orbit.