Nevada Test Site

Click on the map to see information about that area NTS Area Map - Where is: Central Nevada Test Area & Project Shoal site ? Area 13 ? Area 21 ? Area 24 ? Area 28 ? Area 51 ?

Area 18— Area 18 was the site of four nuclear weapons effects tests conducted in early mid-1962. This area, within the Reserved Zone, occupies 231 km2 (89 mi2) in the northwest quadrant of the NTS

Two of these tests were atmospheric (slightly above ground) and the other two tests were cratering experiments.

The Sulky experiment in late 1964 was the first nuclear cratering experiment conducted by the U.S. after ratification of the Limited Test Ban Treaty. The Sulky device was emplaced farily deep for its yield and, consequently, did not produce a crater; although it did produce a mound of broken rock.

Also, during 1964, the area was used for Project Dugout, a Plowshare-sponsored test by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory utilizing chemical high explosives to investigate the potential use of nuclear explosives for ditch digging in dense hard rock. The resulting crater was 87 meters (285 feet) long, 41 meters (135 feet) wide, and 11 meters (35 feet) deep.

The Pahute Control Point, now abandoned, was located in the northeast corner of the area and it was used up until 1971 as the diagnostic and microwave communications monitoring center for nuclear test events on buckboard and Pahute Mesas (Areas 18, 19, and 20).

The now deactivated Pahute Air Strip, located in the east central portion of Area 18, was primarily used for shipments of supplies and equipment relating to Pahute Mesa high-yield underground nuclear test operations.

Operation Sunbeam
Sunbeam was a DOD sponsored operation planned to provide weapons effects data on low yield tactical explosions. An estimated 2900 DOD military and civilian personnel participated in Sunbeam Used a stockpile W-54 Davy Crockett warhead suspended above the ground. The plutonium warhead had a diameter of 10.9 inches, a length of 15.7 inches, and weighed 50 lb. The Davy Crockett, shows it mounted on a stand-alone recoilless rifle launcher

Total number of Nuclear Tests 5 and Detonations 5 as having occured in Area 2, according to United States Nuclear Tests July 1945 through September 1992 DOE/NV--209-REV 15 December 2000 which may view here, but the document only lists the following tests as having occured in Area 2, other are tests are listed by hole or shaft number and am still working on updating this list.