Area 51 Revealed But No Evidence Of Aliens Or UFOs; CIA Acknowledges Site In Declassified Documents [VIDEO]

A satellite image of Area 51 from 2000 shows dry Groom Lake just northeast of the site. Creative Commons

Area 51 has always served as a favorite subject for conspiracy theorists and alien enthusiast. The detached area from Edwards Air Force Base in Nevada has been shrouded in intense secrecy, making it the frequent subject of conspiracy theories regarding UFO's and extraterrestrial life. And while Area 51 has never been official declared a secret base, all research at the base are considered Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information.

Despite its intense security and secrecy, newly declassified documents from the CIA have officially acknowledged the site's existence. And while the declassified reports do not reference extraterrestrials, UFOs, or experimental testing, they do provide past purposes and intents behind the research preformed at Area 51. CIA reports state the the Air Force base was built as a testing site for the government's U-2 spy plane. The report, more than 400 pages, is titled "Central Intelligence Agency and Overhead Reconnaissance: The U-2 and Oxcart Programs, 1954-1974."

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The U-2 spy plane served as a reconnaissance tool for the United States military during the Cold War. Most commonly used in the mid-1950's, U-2 spy plans contributed to the alien conspiracy theories that surrounded Area 51. During this period, civilian aircraft flew under 20,000 feet while military aircraft flew under 40,000 feet. Contrastingly the new U-2 spy plane flew at an unanticipated 60,000 feet, following initial testing and flights an increasing number of UFO sighting reports occurred.

"High-altitude testing of the U-2 soon led to an unexpected side effect -- a tremendous increase in reports of unidentified flying objects (UFOs)," the report states.

The sightings were most often reported by civilians at early evening hours, when the lower sun would reflect off of the U-2's wings, it maintained a fiery, otherworldly appearance. Most sightings of the UFO's were then reported to the Air Force's Project Blue Book. Noting the testing of U-2 spy planes and the increase of UFO sightings, "U-2 and later OXCART flights accounted for more than one-half of all UFO reports during the late 1950s and most of the 1960s," according to the documents.

Former employees at the base and US military officials have candidly acknowledged the testing of the U-2 spy plane at Area 51, however until now the site's existence and operational purpose have never been confirmed.

The report also features a map of the area, and documents citing 3 fatal crashes that took place during 1956 with U-2 planes. Since it's opening in 1955, Area 51 has operated under heavy security maintained a secretive purpose. Many speculate that there is a vast underground railroad system that connects the vast Air Force Base. This aids to the theory that many of Area 51's operations did and presumably still do occur underground, away from the public eye.

According to ABC News, George Washington University's National Security Archive obtained a CIA history of the U-2 spy plane program through a Freedom of Information request and released it Thursday.

Keeping conspiracy theorist intrigued, the report makes no reference to the status of Area 51 after 1974. Based on historical evidence and past research, Area 51 most likely supports development and testing of experimental aircraft and weapons systems.