Conspiracy

Secretive US 'RAT55' plane spotted landing at Area 51 in Nevada

By T.K. Randall
August 21, 2025 ·  5 comments

Image: Area 51 Main Gate
Credit: David James Henry / CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted) While nobody is quite sure exactly what goes on at the secretive Area 51 facility in Nevada, what we do know is that it has played an important role in the development of stealth aircraft over the years.

This point was further emphasized recently when aviation enthusiast Michael Rokita spotted the US Air Force's RAT55 - a plane designed to evaluate stealth aircraft in flight - landing at the base.

Watching from a vantage point 26 miles away on Tikaboo Peak, Rokita observed the plane landing at the base's famous Runway 32 before taxiing into the mysterious Hangar 18.The RAT55 was thought to have played a critical role in the development of the RQ-80 unmanned aerial vehicle and it is typically only deployed in restricted airspace.

Its presence at Area 51 suggests that the US Air Force is trialling some type of stealth vehicle there.

The fact that it went into Hangar 18 is particularly notable, as this building has long been associated with secretive black projects at the base.

As always, however, officials have remained tight-lipped on exactly what's going on there.

Source: Mail Online | Comments (5)

Tags: Area 51