Secretive military bases with fascinating histories
If you have a military, you’re also going to want military bases, which allow you to house soldiers, equipment, and aircraft and perform research across all the territories you own. While the majority of military bases around the world are pretty standard, there are some that stick out among the rest due to their secretiveness and geographic location.
These are the most intriguing military bases around the world (that we know about). Keep reading to learn more.
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Reverse Engineers Aircraft
Located in the counties of Greene and Montgomery, Ohio, lies Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, established in 1917 by the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps. However, during the years of World War I, the base was added to and significantly renovated.
Since its inception, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base has been known to reverse-engineer aircraft in order to know what the enemy is up to and the kind of technology that they are using. Theorists also believe that Hangar 18 on the base is somehow connected to the Roswell crash.
Fort Detrick Was Masked In Secrecy
Fort Detrick is a United States Army Futures Command post in Frederick, Maryland. Although there may not be anything shocking about its appearance, it certainly has an interesting past.
Between 1943 to 1969, Fort Detrick was the center of the United States biological weapons program. Supposedly, during World War II, Fort Detrick was “cloaked in the deepest wartime secrecy, matched only by … the Manhattan Project for developing the Atomic [explosive]”. Following the war, the fort was given the nickname “Fort Doom,” as biological weapons such as Anthrax were also produced there.
Kapustin Yar Is Known As “Russia’s Roswell”
Established in 1946, Kapustin Yar was actually one of the Soviet Union’s first bases that were used to test missiles. On top of that, it was also used as a secret base for space exploration in which the Soviets launched a series of dogs into the atmosphere during the 1960s and was also the location for five atmospheric nuclear tests.
Today, the area is referred to as “Russia’s Roswell” for the number of supposed UFO sightings. Just outside of the base, there is a town called Znamensk that was built by the Soviet Union in complete secret to house those working on the base.
Joint Defense Space Research Facility Pine Gap Is In The Desert For A Reason
Outside of Alice Spring, Australia is the Joint Defense Space Research Facility Pine Gap. A collaboration between the United States and Australia, construction began on the project in 1966, but the desert climate made construction take much longer than expected It has officially been in operation since 1970.
Because of its remote location, the research facility has been the center of many conspiracies, although much like HAARP, much of the base’s equipment only works in certain areas, such as the Australian desert.
Naval Magazine Indian Island Is Small But Mighty
Located off the coast of Washing, Naval Magazine Indian Island is an island purchased by the United States Navy back in 1939. Currently, it is considered to be one of the smallest Navy bases and works as a final stop for Naval ships before heading out into the Pacific Ocean.
It is also a major Navy munition holding facility with combat ships making stops before heading out across the globe. However, environmentalists and other activists have raised questions about what actually happens on the island.
Thule Air Base Is Deep In The Arctic Circle
In Qaasuitsup, Greenland, Thule Air Base is 800 miles into the Arctic Circle, which makes it the northernmost base in the United States military.
The base has proven to be incredibly difficult to get to, as it is only accessible for just three months out of the year, meaning that crucial supplies must make it to the base during the summer months. Yet, the base serves a purpose, operating as an Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles warning system and other surveillance operations.
Siachen Glacier Is A Deadly Place To Be Stationed
Found in both India and Pakistan, the Siachen Glacier has been under the control of the Indian Army for more than four decades. Although there isn’t anything particularly unique about the base itself, it’s the location that makes it of note.
It was established more than 21,000 feet above sea level on a glacier in the mountains north of Jammu and Kashmir, disputed by both India and Pakistan. Being so high above sea level and on a glacier, the weather is completely unpredictable and goes down to unbelievable temperatures.
Dugway Proving Ground Is Larger-Than-Life
Located in the Great Salt Lake Desert, Utah, Dugway was first ordered to be constructed just two months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, with President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordering 127,000 acres to be used.
Today, the proving ground is more than 800,000 acres and is a test site for defense systems against chemical and biological tests. Yet, during World War II, it was used to test incindiary weapons, with replica German and Japanese towns being built to see the destruction some weapons would cause.
Yulin Naval Base Rests Beneath Tropical Islands
Although the exact date remains unknown, it is estimated that the Yulin Naval Base on Hainan Island, China was constructed sometime during the early 2000s. The island is known to be a popular vacation spot, with the Chinese government digging underwater tunnels beneath the land that lead to a naval base with the ability to hold nuclear submarines.
Being underwater, allows for submarines to both enter and exit the base without any detection, and protects the base from any potential attacks.
Eareckson Air Station Once Watched For Ballistic Weapons
Located on the western tip of the Alaskan Aleutian islands on the tiny island of Shemya, Eareckson Air Station serves as an airport for the United States Air Force. At one point, the base was the location of a major ballistic weapons radar, but today is more commonly used for refueling and a diversion airport for civilian aircraft.
Interestingly, the island has experienced two major earthquakes in the past which were the 1965 Rat Islands earthquake and the 1975 Near Island earthquake. Both caused substantial damage.
Lajes Field Is Nothing But A Small Island Of Volcanic Rock
Located on the Portuguese-owned Terceira Island, Lajes Field is a refueling station for many of the aircraft that can’t cross the Atlantic Ocean in one flight. It was established by the United States in 1953 and currently is the station of the 65th Air Base Wing, whose job is to support the United States Air Force in Europe.
Lajes is unique, however, because it is built on a volcanic rock over 1,000 miles off the coast of Portugal. It’s minuscule compared to many other bases being just 11 miles long and only has one airport.
Edwards Air Force Base Has Made History Several Times
To this day, Edwards Air Force Base remains a location in which history was made. Located near Edwards Dry Lake, it is here that America’s first jet, the Bell P-59 made its first flight in 1942.
Then, six years later, a Bell X-1 was the first aircraft to ever travel faster than the speed of sound. Currently, the airbase is used as the Air Force Flight Test Center as well as NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center, which is both paving the way for the future of flight.
Cheyenne Mountain Complex Is Essentially Impenetrable
Located inside of Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado, the Cheyenne Mountain Complex was built in 1966 and is almost half a mile beneath the mountain and is run by Air Force Command. Because of its unique location beneath the mountain, it has been the inspiration behind many science-fiction books and films.
As if being buried under a mountain wasn’t secure enough, it is also fitted with 25-ton blast doors, with state-of-the-art engineering technology being used to construct the whole thing and keep it updated.
Devil’s Tower Camp Has Been Around For Hundreds Of Years
Devil’s Tower Camp is of significant importance due to its geographical location on the Strait of Gibraltar. The British have controlled this region since the early 1700s with Devil’s Tower Camp being the main base for the British Royal Gibraltar Regiment.
The Strait of Gibraltar is a connector between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, with the surrounding area being perfect for training drills that involve parachuting, diving, and even tunneling. Incredibly, beneath Gibraltar, there is a 35-mile-long tunnel system that is frequently in use.
Raven Rock Mountain Complex Is The United State’s Last Hope
The Raven Rock Mountain Complex in Adams County, Pennsylvania is an incredibly secretive base beneath Raven Rock Mountain. It was established during the Cold War and operates under other names such as Site R and the “Underground Pentagon.”
The purpose of the base is to execute the country’s Continuity of Operations Plan, which is to re-establish the government if a significant disaster were to strike the United States. One expert notes, “Everyone knows it exists, but I would say folks are probably not aware of its complete function.”
U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases Is One Of The Most Dangerous Places On Earth
One of the more dangerous military bases in the United States, the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases is a controlled location in which some of the deadliest diseases on Earth are handled and studied. Located in Maryland, it is here that many vaccines have been discovered and is the only laboratory under the purview of the Department of Defense.
The safety precautions and clearance needed in the facility are incredibly strict, as one simple mistake could result in a catastrophic disaster. Furthermore, the building is blast-proof to prevent any bombs from releasing the building’s deadly contents.
