NOTICE: The page below has been permenently FROZEN as of January 2000. Due to resource limitations, this section of our website is no longer maintained, so some links may not work and some information may be out of date. We have retained this page for archive reference only, and we cannot vouch for its accuracy. Broken links will not be repaired, and minor errors will not be corrected. You are responsible for independently verifying any information you may find here.

NOTE: Former webmaster Glenn Campbell has two new websites, active in 2007: FamilyCourtChronicles.com and RoamingPhotos.com. Check them out!

Nellis Air Force Base's primary mission is the training of pilots and support crews in realistic air combat exercises, the best known of which is Red Flag. The vast, Connecticut-size Nellis Range, northwest of Las Vegas, is managed by the base for support of these combat exercises. Also making use of the range are numerous aircraft and weapons testing programs, many of them secret. The Nellis-administered range surrounds, but apparently does not include, the block of land known as "Area 51" and the secret Groom Lake air base within it. (Area 51 appears to be under control of the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB.) Nellis controls Indian Springs Auxiliary Air Field adjacent to the southern part of the range, and also administers, in conjunction with DOE, the Tonopah Test Range in northwest part of the range. Nellis Area II, a separate compound about a mile northeast of the main Nellis base, includes a high-security bunker complex that is a major national repository for nuclear weapons. [gc 10/20/96]

Local Documents

• General Information
  • Nellis Mission and History from the MARCOA directory provided by Nellis Public Affairs
  • Review of Nellis Range electronic warfare capabilities, from Journal of Electronic Warfare, Nov. 1994. (4k)
  • Survey Description of Lands in Nellis Range
• Areas Within Nellis Complex
  • Area 51. Secret aircraft testing area at Groom Lake, 35 miles west of Alamo, surrounded by Nellis and NTS property. Is it part of the "Nellis Complex"? Semantics!
  • Nellis Area II (also known as Lake Mead Base). Facility adjoining Nellis AFB that includes a prison, munitions depot and high security storage bunkers probably housing nuclear weapons.
  • Basecamp Airfield, On US-6 10 miles N. of Warm Springs, auxiliary airfield.
  • Indian Springs Auxiliary Airfield, Indian Springs on US-95.
  • Nellis Range. Exercise and testing area north of Las Vegas
  • Tonopah Test Range. Aircraft testing base and range support facility about 30 miles southeast of town of Tonopah.
  • Tolicha Peak Electronic Combat Range. 30 miles north of Beatty.
    • Satellite Image* (48k) provided by CLUI. The "Korean" mock airfield is shown in the center.
  • Nellis Small Arms Range: Decommissioned. [See FUDS links below]
  • Las Vegas Air Force Station: Radar complex on Angel Peak. Decommissioned. [See FUDS links below]
    • "A Memorial Page for an Air Force worker*, Charlie Price, who died of cancer in 1994, mentions his work at Angel Peak during atomic testing at the NTS.
• Events and Issues
  • Nellis Range Renewal. Unofficial information
  • Schedule of Nellis Combat Exercises*: Dates of upcoming Red Flag and other publically announced combat exercises on Nellis Range.
  • Next Nellis Open House will be held Apr. 26-27, 1997
• Maps
  • Nellis Range Chart: The official military air chart used by pilots on exercise is available by FOIA at nominal cost. See DR#21 and DR#23 | Sample graphic of TTR area* (63k)_
  • Nellis "Site Characterization Project"* by Center for Land Use Interpretation.
  • General map from 6/4/96 article in Las Vegas Sun.
• Operational Data
  • Nellis Radio Frequencies from Roger Cravens. (63k)
    • Another Frequency List (4k), much shorter, of unknown origin.
• Articles (Latest first)
  • "New commander at Nellis excited about his team," By Susan Greene. Las Vegas Review-Journal, 5/6/96. Air Force Maj. Gen. Marv Esmond, a top fighter jock, returns home to Las Vegas and the thrill of a new job.
  • "State wildlife officials reach hunting pact with Nellis Air Force Base", Las Vegas Review-Journal, 11/21/95.
  • "Sheep hunters obtain access to Nellis range," Las Vegas Sun, 11/20/95.
  • "Who Will Control Spy Planes? Air Force And Army Are At Odds Over Unmanned Vehicles", by Frank Oliveri. Air Force Times, 8/28/95.(2k)
  • Pilotless aircraft lifts off from Nellis Air Force Base, 7/28/95, Las Vegas Sun.
  • Former Nellis Commander Thomas Griffith suspended for adultery.
    • Formerly relieved of duties, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 8/24/95 (2k)
    • Mention in Desert Rat #28, 7/28/95 (2 para in 60k)
    • In-Depth follow-up in Las Vegas Review-Journal, 7/2/95 (2k)
    • First Report in Las Vegas Review-Journal, 6/27/95 (2k)
    • Press Release from Air Force, 6/25/95 (2k)
    • Official Profile of Griffith, 1994. (2k)
    • "Cultures clash on the range: Air Force, Indians seek common ground at Nellis," By Richard Levy. Las Vegas Sun, 6/4/96.
• Organization and Command Structure [See Nellis' Organizations Page*]
• Tenant Units (unacknowledged)
  • Detachment 3, Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC). This unit, based at Edwards Air Force Base, apparently operates Area 51 and is cited by former workers as being "at" Nellis.
• Adjoining Facilities & Nearby Areas
  • Nevada Test Site. Nuclear testing ground, surrounded on three sides by the Nellis Range.
  • Yucca Mountain Project. Proposed nuclear waste storage area.
  • Las Vegas | Nevada
• Personnel [See also external links below]
  • Col. Bud Bennett (now retired). Represented Air Force at White Sides withdrawal hearings.
• References. Books and articles about Nellis, except breaking news..
  • Books
    • Red Flag: Air Combat for the 90s, by George Hall. [Ordering Information]
  • Movie
    • Red Flag: The Ultimate Game. 1981 made-for-TV movie, melodrama.
• UFO Claims
  • A Nellis "UFO," photographed by range cameras, was first reported on Hard Copy in 1995. Described in Desert Rat #22. [Also see below.]

External Links

• Official Nellis AFB Home Page
  • Nellis History and Description
  • 99th Range Group. Manages the Nellis Range.
  • Nellis Organizations
  • Nellis Range Renewal. Good overview.
  • Personnel, arranged by chain of command.
    • Maj. Gen. Marvin Esmond, Commander, Air Warfare Center
      • Col. Jerry Carpenter, Commander, 99th Range Group
        • Lt. Col. Jack Schofield, Commander, 99th Range Squadron
        • Lt. Col. Arthur Jean, Commander, 99th Range Support Squadron
• News Articles
  • Search Las Vegas Sun for recent stories on: "Nellis"
• Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) in Nevada, a database from the Army Corps of Engineers, includes many maps and interesting documents on Nellis-controlled areas. All maps and documents are in a crude Tiff format. Translate them to jpg for more attractive display.
  • Las Vegas Air Force Station: Radar complex on Angel Peak. (Decommissioned.)
    • Site location map (265k Tiff). Shows location at Angel Peak and access roads.
    • General layout map (93k Tiff). Close-up of facilities.
  • See Area II for other FUDS links.
• General Information
  • Brochure describing Nellis Range Complex from MRTFB (Air Force) site. Recommended!
  • Overview from Las Vegas On-Line
  • A list of planes on static display at Nellis AFB
• Maps & Photos
  • Aerial Photo of Las Vegas (296k) shows Nellis and Nellis Area II in upper right corner.
  • Site Characterization Project on the Nellis Range from Center for Land Use Interpretation. Many interesting map samples.
  • Nellis Terrain Data. Technical. If you can figure this out, please let us know.
• Contractors
  • Lockheed-Martin, the primary contractor for range operations. Purchased the former contractor, Loral.
• Commercial
  • Thunder Mark Thunderbird insignia products
• Web Searches
  • Searching for "Nellis Air Force Base": Altavista
  • Searching for "Nellis Range": Altavista

Related Military Links

• DOD TECNET. Test and Evaluation Community Network.
• Range and Major Range Test Facilities Base Information