Area 51 has historically been associated with alien conspiracy theories, especially after Robert Lazar's claims in 1989 about UFO technology. The CIA officially acknowledged Area 51's existence in 2013 by declassifying documents detailing how testing of U-2 and A-12 spy planes during the Cold War significantly contributed to UFO reports in the late 1950s and 1960s. These high-altitude flights were misidentified as alien spacecraft, blurring the lines between military secrecy and public speculation. However, the agency's report does not address the facility's activities post-1974.
The extreme altitudes during Cold War testing of the U-2 and A-12 aircraft unintentionally resulted in a surge of UFO sightings, revealing the intertwined history of top-secret military projects and public curiosity.
Declassifying over 400 pages, the CIA acknowledged that more than half of UFO reports in the late 1950s and early 1960s were tied to covert operations at Area 51.
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