United States military installations in Nevada

United States military installations in Nevada
Name	Military installations in Nevada
Location	Nevada, United States
Type	Installations, bases, ranges, test sites
Controlled by	United States Department of Defense, United States Air Force, United States Army, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps
Established	19th–21st centuries
Notable	Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada Test Site, Area 51, Naval Air Station Fallon

United States military installations in Nevada provide critical United States Air Force and United States Navy infrastructure, specialized Nevada Test and Training Range facilities, and historical atomic bomb testing sites that have shaped national defense policy and regional development. Concentrated in southern and western Nevada, these installations support air combat, electronic warfare, space operations, and weapons testing missions while intersecting with state land management, Indigenous territories, and local economies. The following sections describe active bases, former facilities, training areas, strategic missions, environmental concerns, and planned projects.

Overview

Nevada hosts a constellation of installations including Nellis Air Force Base, Creech Air Force Base, Naval Air Station Fallon, and the Nevada National Security Site (formerly Nevada Test Site), all embedded within the Nevada Test and Training Range and adjacent to federal lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. These sites intersect with programs led by the United States Department of Defense, research by the Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory, and policy instruments such as the National Environmental Policy Act and the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission. Historical events—ranging from Operation Plumbbob to Project Pluto—reflect Nevada’s role in nuclear testing and aerospace development.

Major Active Installations

Nellis Air Force Base serves as the hub for Air Combat Command, hosting exercises like Red Flag and units including the 57th Wing and the Thunderbirds. Creech Air Force Base supports remotely piloted aircraft operations under Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency and United States Cyber Command-adjacent missions. Naval Air Station Fallon is the Navy’s premier air-to-air and air-to-ground training center tied to the Carrier Air Wing community and the Strike Fighter Wing training syllabus. The Nevada National Security Site houses nonproliferation research by National Nuclear Security Administration contractors, subcritical experiment facilities used by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and support functions for the Stockpile Stewardship Program. Associated installations include Henderson Executive Airport holdings used for testing, as well as military ranges managed under the Nevada Test and Training Range umbrella.

Former and Decommissioned Facilities

The Nevada Test Site, where atmospheric and underground nuclear test series such as Operation Plumbbob and Operation Teapot occurred, transitioned to the Nevada National Security Site after the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty debates and Presidential moratoria influenced testing posture. Area 51 (Groom Lake) remains active but historically shifted from Lockheed Skunk Works flight testing like the U-2 and SR-71 Blackbird programs to more classified research. Decommissioned outposts linked to early Cold War radar chains and the SAGE system were consolidated or repurposed, while surplus ranges were transferred to the Bureau of Land Management or local authorities under Base Realignment and Closure processes.

Training Areas and Ranges

The Nevada Test and Training Range is one of the largest ranges in North America, hosting live‑fire exercises, complex airspace for Red Flag, and space surveillance tests tied to United States Space Force activities. Ground training occurs at sites adjacent to the Nellis Complex, with electronic warfare scenarios involving contractors like Raytheon Technologies and Lockheed Martin. Maritime and amphibious training is supported off the Nevada coast via coordination with United States Navy and United States Marine Corps units when using joint range complexes. The range infrastructure connects with the Federal Aviation Administration for restricted airspace designations and with National Aeronautics and Space Administration when deconflicting launch windows.

Strategic Roles and Missions

Nevada installations enable power projection, advanced pilot training, and weapons development central to Air Combat Command and naval aviation readiness. The stockpile stewardship activities at the Nevada National Security Site contribute to Nuclear Posture Review objectives and to treaty verification worked with partners such as the International Atomic Energy Agency. Bases in Nevada support counter‑insurgency training doctrine evolution post‑Operation Enduring Freedom and provide facilities for joint exercises with allies from NATO and partner nations participating in Red Flag iterations. Strategic stealth and reconnaissance development occurring at Groom Lake underpins programs like the Have Blue demonstrator lineage.

Environmental and Community Impact

Legacy activities, including atmospheric nuclear testing and hazardous materials handling, have led to contested claims and remediation overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management. Indigenous communities and advocacy groups such as the Shoshone Tribe and environmental organizations have engaged in litigation and negotiated access related to land rights, cultural resource protection under the National Historic Preservation Act, and exposure compensation linked to the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. Local economies around Las Vegas, Henderson, Nevada, and Fallon, Nevada receive significant employment and procurement benefits from base operations, while also managing impacts on water resources and regional development plans.

Future Developments and Planned Projects

Planned investments include modernization of range airspace to accommodate unmanned aerial systems, upgrades supporting Space Force command and control integrations, and facility improvements tied to the National Nuclear Security Administration modernization timeline. Contractors such as Bechtel Corporation and Northrop Grumman have competed for infrastructure projects related to runway enhancements, testing instrumentation, and environmental remediation contracts. Policy drivers include presidential directives on defense posture, Congressional appropriations via the Defense Appropriations Act, and treaty commitments shaping the Nevada footprint for the coming decades.

Category:Military installations of the United States by state Category:Buildings and structures in Nevada