Top 20 Secret Military Bases You’ve Never Heard Of

The world of military operations is shrouded in mystery, with secret facilities scattered across the globe, each serving a unique and often enigmatic purpose. From hazardous mountaintop outposts to impenetrable underground bunkers, these clandestine military bases represent the pinnacle of technological innovation, strategic planning, and operational security. In this comprehensive exploration, we delve into the Top 20 Secret Military Bases You’ve Never Heard Of.

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1. Eareckson Air Station

Nestled 1,200 miles west of Anchorage, Alaska, and just 200 miles east of Russia, the Eareckson Air Station on the remote island of Shemya in the Aleutian archipelago is a testament to the military’s ability to operate in the harshest of environments.

Once a ballistic missile radar site during the Cold War, this desolate location now serves as an active emergency landing zone and refueling station, its strategic importance never diminishing despite the passage of time.

2. Kwajalein Atoll

The Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands is one of the largest coral atolls in the world, and it has long been a hub for the United States’ military testing and research activities.

Leasing 11 of the 97 small islands that make up the atoll, the U.S. has leveraged the remote location and expansive lagoon to conduct extensive testing of radars, tracking devices, missile launchers, and other cutting-edge technologies, including the successful launch of SpaceX’s first Falcon 1 rocket.

3. Fort Detrick

Nestled in the farmlands of Maryland, Fort Detrick has a dark and unsettling history. Established in the 1940s as the site of the United States’ biological weapons program, the facility was once the epicenter of experiments involving deadly toxins and other nefarious agents.

Although the warfare program was shut down in 1969, the site has since transformed into the home of the U.S. biological defense program, continuing to operate under a shroud of secrecy.

4. Olavsvern Naval Base

Originally constructed as a Cold War naval base in Norway, the Olavsvern Naval Base has had a complex and intriguing history. After Norway sold the site, it was eventually leased to the Russians, who now use the facility for “research” purposes.

The base itself is a marvel of engineering, with buildings, bombproof areas, and docks chiseled directly into the surrounding mountains, creating a formidable and impenetrable military installation.

5. Naval Magazine Indian Island

Nestled off the coast of Washington State, the Naval Magazine Indian Island is one of the smallest and most unique bases in the U.S. Navy’s arsenal.

Serving as the last deep-water ordnance facility on the West Coast, this island outpost plays a crucial role in loading and offloading ammunition for naval ships, including the massive Nimitz-class aircraft carriers. With over 100 underground “magazines” for weapon storage, the base is a testament to the military’s ability to operate in confined and challenging environments.

6. Siachen Glacier

Straddling the border between India and Pakistan, the Siachen Glacier is a military outpost like no other. Situated at an altitude of over 21,000 feet, this remote and inhospitable location has been the site of a decades-long dispute between the two nations, with both armies vying for control of the strategically important mountain passes.

Battling against the harsh elements, including blistering winds, snowstorms, and thin oxygen, the soldiers stationed at Siachen Glacier have endured immense hardship and sacrifice to maintain their hold on this forbidding terrain.

7. Mount Weather

Tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the Mount Weather facility has a long and intriguing history. Originally a weather station in the 19th century, the site later served as a camp during World War II and eventually evolved into a top-secret underground facility. Today, the Department of Homeland Security operates the subterranean complex, which has served as a refuge for high-level government officials during times of crisis, such as the 9/11 attacks.

With its FEMA National Radio System and its role as a monitoring station for GPS, Mount Weather remains a crucial cog in the U.S. government’s emergency preparedness plans.

8. Kapustin Yar

Nestled in the Astrakhan Oblast region of Russia, southeast of Volgograd, Kapustin Yar holds a unique place in the annals of military history. Established in 1946, this secretive facility was one of the Soviet Union’s first rocket and missile test sites, where captured German A-4 (V-2) rockets were launched for the first time.

Over the years, Kapustin Yar also played a pivotal role in the Soviet Union’s early suborbital animal flights, as well as serving as the site for several atmospheric nuclear tests. Known as “Russia’s Roswell,” the base and its surrounding town of Znamensk were shrouded in secrecy, with access strictly limited to authorized personnel.

9. Harvey Point Defense Testing Activity

Tucked behind security fences and Spanish moss-laden cypress trees in North Carolina, the Harvey Point Defense Testing Activity facility has a storied past. Transformed from a 1940s military site into a weapons testing and training ground in the aftermath of the Bay of Pigs invasion, this clandestine compound has served as a hub for the CIA, FBI, Navy SEALs, and various counter-terrorism units from around the world.

Most notably, the site is known for its Osama Bin Laden house mockup, used for specialized training exercises.

10. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

Established in 1917, the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base outside of Dayton, Ohio, has a long and storied history, particularly when it comes to the practice of reverse-engineering. During the Cold War era, the base played a pivotal role in studying and replicating captured enemy aircraft, earning it a reputation for being at the forefront of technological innovation.

Adding to the intrigue, the base’s Hangar 18 has been linked to conspiracy theories surrounding the Roswell incident, further fueling the public’s fascination with this military installation.

11. Toulon Military Port

Tracing its roots back to the 16th century, the Toulon Military Port on the east coast of France is the oldest naval base in Europe. Over the centuries, this storied facility has evolved and expanded, serving as the birthplace of the country’s first iron ships and the world’s first modern submarines.

Today, the Toulon Military Port is home to more than 70 percent of France’s naval forces, a testament to its enduring strategic importance.

12. Yulin Naval Base

Nestled on the resort island of Hainan in China, the Yulin Naval Base is a marvel of engineering and military ingenuity. Constructed during the 2000s, this clandestine facility has leveraged the island’s natural features, transforming underwater tunnels and caverns into a hidden home for China’s nuclear submarine fleet.

By utilizing technology commonly found in the mining and petroleum industries, the Yulin Naval Base allows submarines to enter and exit the facility without detection, making it a formidable and elusive military installation.

13. Thule Air Base

Perched just 800 miles from the Arctic Circle, the Thule Air Base in Greenland is the northernmost U.S. military installation, posing unique challenges for its operators. From the base’s port, which is only accessible for three months of the year, to the need to build on the most stable layer of permafrost, the Thule Air Base is a testament to the military’s ability to thrive in the harshest of environments.

Equipped with above-ground utilities and specialized arctic vestibules, the base serves as a critical hub for the 12th Space Warning Squadron’s early warning system for intercontinental ballistic missiles and the 21st Space Wing’s space surveillance operations.

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14. Dugway Proving Ground

Nestled in the Great Salt Lake Desert of Utah, the Dugway Proving Ground is a massive military installation, covering an area roughly the size of Rhode Island. Established just two months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, this facility has played a vital role in the development and testing of various defense systems, including chemical and biological weapons, as well as military-grade smoke bombs.

During World War II, the Dugway Proving Ground was integral to the creation of incendiary bombs, with crews even going so far as to build replicas of German and Japanese villages to test the effectiveness of these fiery weapons.

15. Navy Support Facility Diego Garcia

Situated in the Chagos Archipelago, about 1,000 miles from India, the Navy Support Facility Diego Garcia is a joint U.S. and U.K. operation that provides crucial logistical support to forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. Despite its remote location, the atoll-based facility serves as a key hub for tracking satellites and is one of only a handful of locations equipped with a Ground-based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance system for monitoring objects in deep space.

The unique, elongated shape of the atoll, measuring 34 miles long but only 11 square miles in total area, adds to the base’s distinct character.

16. HAARP Research Station

Tucked away in the remote town of Gakona, Alaska, the High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) facility has been the subject of countless conspiracy theories. Operated by a collaborative effort involving the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, and the University of Alaska, HAARP uses a powerful high-frequency transmitter and an array of antennas to temporarily disrupt the ionosphere, with the goal of exploring potential communications and surveillance benefits.

While the project’s operators readily admit to researching defense applications, the secrecy and remote location of HAARP have fueled speculation about its true purpose, ranging from weather manipulation to mind control.

17. Forward Logistics Base

For more than 25 years, India and Pakistan have been engaged in a fierce battle for control of the Siachen Glacier, a nearly 50-mile-long stretch of the Karakoram mountain range.

Both nations have established military installations in this barely inhabitable war zone, where troops face endless perils, from altitude sickness and deadly temperatures to bone-crushing avalanches. Despite a 2004 ceasefire, the conflict has claimed an estimated 5,000 lives, many of which are attributed to the harsh climate and lack of infrastructure in the region, forcing helicopter pilots to navigate treacherous conditions to deliver basic necessities.

18. Cheyenne Mountain Complex

Burrowed nearly half a mile under a granite mountain in Colorado, the Cheyenne Mountain Complex Air Force Station is a marvel of engineering and strategic importance. Established in 1966, this iconic underground base has inspired countless science fiction writers and awed engineers with its ability to withstand multi-megaton attacks.

Equipped with 25-ton blast doors and rooms that sit on massive beds of springs to absorb the impact of a blast, the Cheyenne Mountain Complex is a testament to the military’s commitment to creating impenetrable fortifications.

19. Devil’s Tower Camp

Perched on the tip of the strategically vital Gibraltar peninsula, the Devil’s Tower Camp serves as the headquarters for the Royal Gibraltar Regiment, charged with safeguarding this crucial territory.

Nestled within an extensive 35-mile-long tunnel system carved through the region’s limestone, the camp provides unique training opportunities in parachuting, diving, and urban warfare, taking advantage of the area’s geographic features to hone the skills of its soldiers.

20. Joint Defence Space Research Facility Pine Gap

In the desolate heart of Australia, just outside of Alice Springs, lies the Joint Defence Space Research Facility Pine Gap, a joint U.S./Australian operation established in 1966. The facility’s collection of radomes and remote location have sparked numerous UFO-related rumors, but its primary function is to monitor missile activity in the region and relay intelligence to both U.S. and Australian forces.

Despite the challenging desert environment, the strategic importance of Pine Gap’s location has ensured its continued operation, with plans to upgrade the facility’s antiquated equipment in the coming years.

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Conclusion

The world’s most secret and strange military bases represent the pinnacle of human ingenuity, engineering, and strategic foresight. From the desolate Aleutian Islands to the remote Australian outback, these clandestine facilities serve as testaments to the military’s ability to thrive in even the most inhospitable environments, pushing the boundaries of technology and operational security. As the global geopolitical landscape continues to evolve, the need for these specialized and often enigmatic military installations will only grow, ensuring that the world’s most fascinating and secretive bases will continue to captivate the public imagination for generations to come.

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