The real purpose of Area 51 was revealed in declassified CIA document
Published on Feb 13, 2026 at 8:13 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Feb 13, 2026 at 9:47 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
After decades of mystery and conspiracy theories, the CIA finally revealed what Area 51 in Nevada was actually used for.
We had to wait for a very long time, but we finally know the truth, and it might surprise some people.
Declassified CIA documents revealed a couple of juicy details about the secretive area in Nevada.
And you’ll never guess which iconic aircraft was ‘born’ here’.
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This is what Area 51 was actually used for
After decades of speculation, the CIA finally confirmed that yes, Area 51 is a government site used for some pretty cool projects.
But probably not the projects people assumed would be found here.
As revealed in the documents declassified in 2013, the site, which has been historically famed for UFO sightings, was actually used as an aerial testing ground for US government projects.
The declassified seven-chapter history, released over 10 years ago, was also the very first official acknowledgement that Area 51 exists.
Area 51 is roughly 100 miles from Las Vegas, and sits in the center of the Nevada National Security Site, which itself lies within the even larger Nellis Air Force Range.
It was the perfect site for this project because it was in the middle of nowhere, and very easy to ‘defend’ and shield from curious eyes.
The likely reason why people associated it with UFOs
The released documents also revealed that Area 51 was primarily used for U-2 and Oxcart aerial surveillance programs.
The documents actually attributed UFO (or UAP, unidentified aerial phenomena) sightings to the U-2’s ability to fly above 60,000ft.
The iconic U-2 reconnaissance aircraft has been used to conduct surveillance since the 1950s and, as we now know, was actually developed and perfected at Area 51.
That’s why this location was chosen.
In 1955, its remote location made Area 51 a frontrunner for testing the U-2 spy plane in order to keep it from the public and the enemy.
In an era before Google Maps and Google Earth, Area 51 was nearly impossible to find.
This was due to its isolated position in a desolate stretch of the Nevada desert, reinforced by a perimeter of buried motion sensors and high-tech surveillance that ensured no one could get too close.
After beginning his automotive writing career at DriveTribe, Alessandro has been with Supercar Blondie since the launch of the website in 2022. In fact, he penned the very first article published on supercarblondie.com. He’s covered subjects from cars to aircraft, watches, and luxury yachts - and even crypto. He can largely be found heading up the site’s new-supercar and SBX coverage and being the first to bring our readers the news that they’re hungry for.
