Kazan Aircraft Production Association

By jbottero

(2026-09-20)

Kazan Aircraft Production Association is an aircraft manufacturer based in Kazan, Russia. It has built more than 18,000 aircraft of 34 types during its history, and currently builds the Tu-160 heavy bomber.

Kazan is the capital and largest city of Tatarstan, Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and the Kazanka rivers, covering an area of 425.3 square kilometers, with a population of over 1.3 million residents, and up to nearly 2 million residents in the greater metropolitan area. Kazan is the fifth-largest city in Russia, being the most populous city on the Volga and within the Volga Federal District.

Smolensk Aviation Plant Headquarters

By jbottero

(2026-08-20)

The Smolensk Aviation Plant is a Russian aircraft production and servicing company. Founded in 1926, since 1993 it has been a Joint stock company, and produces aircraft and aircraft parts designed by the nearby Yakovlev Design Bureau.

Also seen HERE at Virtual Globetrotting.

Yakovlev and Smolensk Aviation Plant

By jbottero

(2026-08-20)

A.S. Yakovlev Design Bureau is a Russian aircraft designer and manufacturer, formed in 1934 under aircraft designer Alexander Sergeyevich Yakovlev. The Smolensk Aviation Plant is a Russian aircraft production and servicing company. Founded in 1926, since 1993 it has been a Joint stock company, and produces aircraft and aircraft parts designed by the Yakovlev Design Bureau.

The Smolensk Aviation headquarters are seen HERE at Virtual Globetrotting.

Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard No. 112

By jbottero

(2026-08-16)

Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard No. 112 is one of the oldest shipbuilding factories in Russia, located in the Sormovsky City District of Nizhny Novgorod (formerly called Gorky). Although in the past, they have produced rail locomotives, tanks, and steam ships, now this is where most of Russia's submarines are built.

Weldon Spring Ordnance Works - Superfund Site

By jbottero

(2026-08-10)

Weldon Spring Ordnance Works was a 17,323-acre U.S. Government-owned, contractor-operated facility in St. Charles County, Missouri. The site was originally produce explosives. The Atomic Energy Commission acquired part of the property in 1955, and processed uranium ore from 1957 to 1966. Wastes generated during these operations were stored in ground pits located on the plant property, which is now a Superfund site. The stairway to an observation platform atop the 75-foot-tall permanent disposal cell at the Weldon Spring cleanup site is open to the public.

Also seen HERE at Virtual Globetrotting.

Tactical Missiles Corporation - Russia

By jbottero

(2026-08-09)

Tactical Missiles Corporation is a major Russian holding company for the manufacturers of military weapons, specializing in especially missiles, and headquartered in Korolyov, Moscow Oblast.

Motor Sich - Ukrainian Aerospace Company

By jbottero

(2026-08-03)

The Motor Sich is a Ukrainian aircraft engine manufacturer headquartered in Zaporizhzhia. The company manufactures engines for airplanes and helicopters as well as industrial marine gas turbines and installations. Motor Sich Airlines is wholly owned by Motor Sich.

Motor Sich supplies the motor and other components for the FP-5 "Flamingo", a Ukrainian ground-launched, long-range subsonic cruise missile developed by the defense firm Fire Point.

Also seen HERE at Virtual Globetrotting.

Voronezh Semiconductor Devices - Ukrainian Drone Target

By jbottero

(2026-07-09)

The Voronezh Semiconductor Devices Plant, located at 119A Leninsky Prospekt in Voronezh, Russia, is one of the country's largest silicon foundries. The facility manufactures microelectronics, integrated circuits, and power electronics that are heavily utilized in the Russian military-industrial complex.

On June 22, 2026, the facility was struck by high-precision, air-launched cruise missiles (widely assessed as Storm Shadows) fired by Ukrainian forces. The attack caused severe structural damage and triggered large fires at the site, with follow-up reports indicating at least five fatalities, dozens of injuries, and damage to surrounding civilian infrastructure. The destruction of this production capacity is expected to significantly degrade Russia's ability to manufacture and maintain its precision-guided weapons.

Also seen HERE at Virtual Globetrotting.

Voronezh Semiconductor Devices - Ukrainian Drone Target

By jbottero

(2026-07-09)

The Voronezh Semiconductor Devices Plant, located at 119A Leninsky Prospekt in Voronezh, Russia, is one of the country's largest silicon foundries. The facility manufactures microelectronics, integrated circuits, and power electronics that are heavily utilized in the Russian military-industrial complex.

On June 22, 2026, the facility was struck by high-precision, air-launched cruise missiles (widely assessed as Storm Shadows) fired by Ukrainian forces. The attack caused severe structural damage and triggered large fires at the site, with follow-up reports indicating at least five fatalities, dozens of injuries, and damage to surrounding civilian infrastructure. The destruction of this production capacity is expected to significantly degrade Russia's ability to manufacture and maintain its precision-guided weapons.

Also seen HERE at Virtual Globetrotting.

Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant

By jbottero

(2026-07-07)

Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant, based in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the Russian Far East, is the largest aircraft-manufacturing company in Russia. The company currently produces Su-27SM/SKM fighters, Su-33 and Su-27KUB shipborne fighters, and Be-103 amphibians, among others. In February 2015 the company decided to stop the production of Su-30MK2 multirole fighters to focus on producing the Su-35 and Su-57 stealth multirole fighter aircraft. The assembly line for all versions of the new Sukhoi Superjet 100 is located at the company's facilities.

Also seen HERE at Virtual Globetrotting.

Experimental Duga Receiver

By jbottero

(2025-12-16)

The original Duga was the first experimental system that consisted of a transmitter and receiver. Both the transmitter and receiver were built outside the Black Sea port of Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine, and successfully detected rocket launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome about 2,500 kilometers away.

The Experimental Duga Transmitter can be seen HERE at Virtual Globetrotting.

Experimental Duga Transmitter

By jbottero

(2025-12-16)

The original Duga was the first experimental system that consisted of a transmitter and receiver. Both the transmitter and receiver were built outside the Black Sea port of Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine, and successfully detected rocket launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome about 2,500 kilometers away.

The Experimental Duga Recevier can be seen HERE at Virtual Globetrotting.

The British Underwater Test and Evaluation Centre (BUTEC)

By jbottero

(2025-10-07)

The British Underwater Test and Evaluation Center (BUTEC) is an underwater military test and evaluation range in the Inner Sound between the Isle of Raasay and the Applecross peninsula, on the north west coast of Scotland. The range is used for noise ranging of surface ships and submarines and for testing of a variety of weapons and sensors.

The Isle of Raasay is famous for being the birthplace of Gaelic poet Sorley MacLean, an important figure in the Scottish Renaissance.

The British Underwater Test and Evaluation Centre (BUTEC)

By tallturtle82

(2025-10-07)

The British Underwater Test and Evaluation Centre (BUTEC) is located in northern Scotland. It is a Royal Navy/Ministry of Defense underwater military test and evaluation range. The location was established in the 1970's.

Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology

By jbottero

(2025-08-09)

Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology is a Russian engineering and scientific research institute founded on May 13, 1946. The institute is located in the Otradnoye District in the north of Moscow. It's primarily focused is developing ballistic missiles and rockets.

Railcar Maintenance and Storage Facility

By jbottero

(2025-08-08)

Railcar maintenance and storage facility for nearby ICBM factory.

ICBM Parts

By jbottero

(2025-08-08)

This is the JSC Votkinsk Machine Building Plant ballistic missile factory as seen here. This is one of several lots where ICBM parts are scatted about.

Votkinsk Machine Building Plant

By jbottero

(2025-08-08)

The JSC Votkinsk Machine Building Plant ballistic missile factory is based in Votkinsk, Republic of Udmurtia, Russia. Its production includes the RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile, Russia's most recent ICBM development, as well as the submarine-launched Bulava SLBM.

Area 2 Gun Turret

By jbottero

(2025-08-01)

Apparently, this salvaged WW2 ship's gun turret was used to point various scientific instruments at different nearby nuclear tests.

Savannah River National Laboratory

By jbottero

(2025-07-30)

The Savannah River National Laboratory is a multi-program national laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management. It was founded in 1951.

STREIT Group

By 42manako

(2025-07-13)

The STREIT Group is a UAE-based manufacturer of light armored vehicles and MRAPs. STREIT Group often designs vehicles jointly with the Ukrainian company KrAZ. Some of their notable vehicles together include the Cougar, Shrek-M, Fiona, and Spartan.

Vulcan Naval Reactor Test Establishment

By jbottero

(2025-07-07)

Vulcan Naval Reactor Test Establishment, formerly HMS Vulcan, is a UK Ministry of Defence establishment in Scotland, operated by Rolls-Royce Submarines. The site formerly operated two separate prototype nuclear reactors, trialing five different types of submarine reactor core. The site is located adjacent to the Dounreay civil nuclear site, and currently is in the process of being decommissioned. As well, Dounreay Castle is nearby.

Project Gnome

By jbottero

(2025-02-09)

The Gnome Nuclear Test Site is the location of a 1961 underground nuclear test conducted by the Atomic Energy Commission. This was the first test in the Plowshare Program, a program to develop peaceful uses for nuclear weapons. The Lawrence Radiation Lab (which later became Lawrence Livermore National Lab) designed this test, which was to have many physical experiments associated with it, including the collection of isotopes, and to study the possibility of using nuclear explosions to generate electricity.

Russian Marine Mammal Unit

By photog

(2022-09-05)

Open ocean marine mammal pens are located at Kazachya Bukhta, near Sevastopol. Known to house dolphins and seals.

Russian Beluga Whale Pens

By photog

(2022-09-05)

Open ocean Beluga whale pens are located at the bay entrance of Sochi, Black Sea. It is unknown if these are for military, scientific, or entertainment purposes (there is a aquarium nearby). These pens appeared in 2014.

Russian Beluga Whale Pens for Special Mission Submarine Base

By photog

(2022-03-08)

Open ocean Beluga whale pens are located at the bay entrance of Olenya Guba which is the main submarine operating base for the 29th Separate Brigade of submarines of the Northern Fleet. This unit operates a range of special mission submarines (read ‘spy submarines’) for GUGI (Main Directorate Deep-Sea Research). Other GUGI assets based at this location include the enigmatic and controversial Yantar, a hydrographic research ship. Satellite images have shown times when whale pens are located adjacent to ships and submarines docked at the base, indicating transport of the whales is occurring.

Russian Military Mammal Training Facility

By photog

(2022-03-08)

Seals, sea lions, dolphins, and Beluga whales are trained at this facility for security, reconnaissance, and allegedly offensive missions with limpet mines and counter-diver interception.

Military Research Center

By pak555

(2022-01-27)

Carderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center

By jdubble07

(2019-04-23)

The Carderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center is located in Potomac, Maryland and consists of approximately 3,200 scientists, engineers and support personnel working in more than 40 disciplines ranging from fundamental science to applied/in-service engineering.

Bombing target(?) at Yuma Proving Ground, CA

By emilykind_

(2019-01-25)

Yuma Proving Ground is a military installation location in western Arizona. It is operated by the Army Test and Evaluation Command, and is one of the largest military installations worldwide.

Optical Resolution Target at Bridgewater Airpark, VA

By emilykind_

(2019-01-24)

Bridgewater Airpark is home to the mysterious Dynamic Aviation Group, a federal contractor involved in special operations for the military and CIA. Shown here is a optical resolution target for camera-equipped aircraft.

United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases

By jdubble07

(2018-09-04)

United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases is the U.S Army's main institution and facility for defensive research into countermeasures against biological warfare and is located in Fort Dietrick, Maryland.

High Speed Aerodynamic Research center

By nico

(2017-04-27)

Article gives a great description of the installation.

China Tank Manufacturer

By nico

(2016-11-06)

I watched numerous times the video, especially the first 2 minutes. On YouTube, it says that's in Inner Bantou. You can see in the picture, (zoomed in), the statue of Mao in from of the main building, the top left corner has 2 very distinctive rose and orange buildings and the angle correspond well with the electrical power plant with the 4 cooling towers and 2 blue box looking buildings. I would say this is the location of the production facility for Chinese tanks and wheeled vehicles shown in the video.

Radar Cross Section Test Site

By KRL

(2016-09-16)

Blurry medium resolution imagery.

Within a walled compound. Only one gate on the northwest side. Construction ongoing with large crane shadow inside western complex.

Looks like a 7,400 foot long airstrip; but with buildings at each end and a non-typical layout.

Several parabolic dishes pointed down the runway from the west. Central mast indicates this is a RCS (Radar Cross Section) Test Site. Four vehicles connected by cables on northern ramp.

A couple of small aircraft visible beside southern ramp.

Abandoned Torpedo Test Station

By skyeye

(2016-04-20)

During World War II, the German Navy tested torpedoes at this site on Poland's north shore. Now abandoned, the structure has been used for film productions.

Trailer Mounted Domes

By KRL

(2015-11-13)

18 trailer mounted units. The trailer is 20 feet long with a 9 foot diameter dome and an oval shaped aperture.

Regular portable radar units in western corner of lot.

May be an optical/laser based (LAWS) system similar to photo at link below

Semipalatinsk Test Site

By nico

(2015-06-08)

The Soviet Union conducted 456 nuclear tests at Semipalatinsk from 1949 until 1989. Most of the test are located to the south in 3 massive clusters. There's not a lot of craters.

Rocket engine test stand

By nico

(2015-04-20)

The [Shahrud] site discovered by IHS Jane's is 165 km to the northeast of the existing Semnan space centre and 40 km southeast of the city of Shahrud. Construction started between May and September 2010...

Santa Cruz Mountains - Military Installation: Rocket Engine Test Towers

By hw4x

(2014-11-24)

You can see towers and exhaust deflectors here. Seems to be out of commission though.

Santa Cruz Mountains - Military Installation: Antennas

By hw4x

(2014-11-24)

Who would of every thought? (Rumored they did explosive testing here??? Why not in the desert?) Lockheed Martin/Navy joint venture.

GHADIR OTH Radar

By nico

(2014-08-28)

Recently announced by Iran, new OTH radar has an 1,100-kilometer range and a maximum detection altitude of 300 kilometers.

Radar Test Site (former)

By skyeye

(2014-07-03)

Appletree Hill was the site of three radar test cells. Built in 1957, General Electric's Ordnance Systems evaluated radars designed for tracking the Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile.

Former Naval Air Warfare Center

By skyeye

(2014-07-02)

Located southeast of the Trenton Mercer Airport, this facility was used by the United States Navy for testing jet engines.

F-18 on Radar Mast

By KRL

(2014-04-29)

Appears to be upside down on pedastal for Radar Cross Section Testing (RCS).

More info at link below

Alleged new Nuclear site

By nico

(2014-01-04)

Jane's defense Weekly, 27 Nov 2013

Alleged new Nuclear site

By nico

(2014-01-04)

Jane's Defense Weekly article, 27 Nov 2013

Alleged new Nuclear site

By nico

(2014-01-04)

Jane's Defense Weekly article , 27 November 2013.

New layer of asphalt?

By nico

(2013-12-25)

Looks like Iran decided to pave over the old dirt/concrete surface at Parchin research facility.

Military site, heavy gun trials

By nico

(2013-11-20)

Super heavy guns spotted in China by JDW.

Rather odd array

By nico

(2013-09-21)

This array or maybe some sort of electrical grid reminds me of the grid like structure about 270 miles N.E. of this site. There, it is also part of numerous structures been bombed or used for testing. Some of the comments in other blogs suggest some kind of active array like HAARP or ABM radar, maybe research into outer atmosphere, I don't really buy that argument as why put it so close to a bomb range?

The project started construction early 2005 as it appears in that imagery with some rather odd excavations.

CRIRP Facility, Urumqi, Xinjiang Region, China

By: zorgon
Date: 2009-09-18
China Research Institute of Radiowave Propagation (CRIRP) Ionospheric Laboratory, Xinjiang (Sinkiang) Region Ionospheric sounding network and data in China Wu Jian Jiao Peinan Xiao Zuo Wan Weixing Liu Ruiyuan Zhao Zhengyu LEME, China Res. inst. of Radiowave Propagation, Beijing; Abstract Ionospheric sounding has been conducted routinely for more than 60 years in China. A complete network of ground-based sounding sites covers the Chinese subcontinent, including vertical and oblique sounding, GPS measurement of ionospheric TEC and scintillation, VLF receivers measuring the lower ionosphere etc. In this paper, we give a picture of the sounding network, equipment situation and data acquired with emphasis on vertical ionosonde network

Steel frames in the desert

By nico

(2013-09-20)

Not sure what this is for, more testing or just probably targets. They appear in imagery around 2010 and seem to have gone up a floor or 2 but no visible damage yet.

Strange line up of fighters

By nico

(2013-09-20)

From the image on 10/24/2012, the fighters aren't seen but there is quite a lot of damage done to the concrete. On the 5/15/2013 image, it almost looks like the concrete was repaired and these 12 "fighters" were just sitting there. Not sure if the orange is an image artifact or really the paint job of the "fighters". Not sure what the heck this is about, it looks like a regular range where the Chinese test bombs or maybe some sort of Chinese "Red Flag" but I can't really figure out what the orange fighters are for.

Entrance to underground bunker

By nico

(2013-09-13)

Possible location for SCUD launchers, also co-located with reported chemical weapons site.

Khan Abu Shamat weapons depot

By nico

(2013-09-12)

Possible chemical weapons depot.

Masyaf military depot

By nico

(2013-09-12)

Possible chemical weapons depot.

Secret UAV engine test hangar

By nico

(2013-09-05)

Missile Engagement Simulation Arena (MESA)

By nico

(2013-09-03)

Meck Island (Kwajalein Atoll)

By Alkavian

(2013-08-13)

The Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site, commonly referred to as the Reagan Test Site (formerly Kwajalein Missile Range), is a missile test range in the Pacific Ocean. It covers about 750,000 square miles (1,900,000 km2) and includes rocket launch sites at the Kwajalein Atoll (on multiple islands), Wake Island, and Aur Atoll. It primarily functions as a test facility for U.S. missile defense and space research programs. The Reagan Test Site is under the command of the US Army Kwajalein Atoll, or USAKA.

General Dynamics Land Systems (Canada)

By Alkavian

(2013-07-19)

This is where the LAV-25 and other derivatives are built.

Southwest Jet on EMP Test Platform

By jbottero

(2013-07-06)

Is that an old Southwest jet on a EMP test platform at China Lake?

Rail Cars in the Desert

By jbottero

(2013-07-06)

It's China Lake, who knows...

Undersea Warfare Center

By skyeye

(2013-06-25)

The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport Range Operations Center is located at the’s sheltered Stillwater Basin area, overlooking the inner bay ranges and waterfront facilities. The facilities include management offices, staging and maintenance bays, piers, a boat ramp, and a 5 ton jib crane mounted on a wharf dolphin.

Torpedo Test Station

By skyeye

(2013-06-25)

Torpedoes are fired from the north end of Gould Island in Narragansett Bay.
The test area is 10,000 yards long and 2,750 yards wide.

The Narragansett Bay Shallow Water Test Facility (NBSWTF) is a Naval Undersea Warfare Center test and evaluation facility.

Acoustic Measurement Facility

By skyeye

(2013-06-24)

The Naval Underwater Warfare Center's Dodge Pond Acoustic Measurement Facility is the Navy's most modern open-water acoustic test and evaluation site.

Experimental Air Force Jets

By jbottero

(2013-06-01)

Looks like the McDonnell Douglas F-15 STOL/MTD, the General Dynamics F-16XL-1, and maybe an F-5 variant?

New buildings near nuclear facility

By nico

(2013-04-14)

Started construction around 2007/2008, I guess. Interesting to follow activity there thru the years. Parchin site is relatively large research facility with quite a lot of tunnels and bunkers, numerous industrial hangars spread around.

Article provided adds some extra info.

Rail-Based Testing Facility

By jbottero

(2013-04-10)

Who knows... But it's obviously a rail system.

Khan Research Laboratories

By jbottero

(2013-04-08)

Dr. A. Q. Khan, is a Pakistani nuclear scientist and a metallurgical engineer, colloquially regarded as the founder of HEU based Gas-centrifuge uranium enrichment program for Pakistan's integrated atomic bomb project

The Khan Research Laboratories, previously known at various times as Project-706, and Engineering Research Laboratories, is a Pakistan Government's multi-program national research institute, managed and operated under the scrutiny of Pakistan Armed Forces, located in Kahuta, Punjab Province. During the midst of 1970s, the laboratories were the cornerstone of the first stage of Pakistan' atomic bomb project, being one of the various sites where the classified scientific research on atomic bombs were undertaken.

SL-1 Debris Cleanup Site

By jbottero

(2013-03-24)

The SL-1, or Stationary Low-Power Reactor Number One, was a United States Army experimental nuclear power reactor which underwent a steam explosion and meltdown on January 3, 1961, killing its three operators.

The site was cleaned in 1961 to 1962, removing the bulk of the contaminated debris and burying it. The massive cleanup operation included the dismantling and disposal of the reactor and building. A burial ground was constructed approximately 1,600 feet (488 m) northeast of the original site of the reactor. This was done to minimize radiation exposure to the public and site workers that would have resulted from transport of contaminated debris from SL-1 to the Radioactive-Waste Management Complex over 16 miles (26 km) of public highway. Original cleanup of the site took about 18 months. The entire reactor building, contaminated materials from nearby buildings, and soil and gravel contaminated during cleanup operations were disposed of in the burial ground. The majority of buried materials consist of soils and gravel.

Israelis Air Strike into Syria

By KRL

(2013-02-01)

This compound in Jimraya has been reportedly bombed by Israelis Jets. Initial reports describe it as a "Research Facility". Three tall unique towers within compound. Military equipment and numerous revetments to west, north and east of compound.

Shown in attached news item. Conflicting reports within this item as to if this was a target.

Other reports of the airstrike mention a convoy carrying SA-17 Surface to Air Missiles headed to Lebanon.

Nuclear research city of Haibei

By nico

(2013-01-17)

Northwest Nuclear Weapons Research & Design Academy, or the "Ninth Academy" "Atomic city" is surrounded by different military compounds and bunkers, some seem quite recent and very new.

http://www.nti.org/facilities/705/

http://tibet.dharmakara.net/TibetFacts13.html

Target practice, unusual site

By nico

(2013-01-14)

Site found by kjfitz.

I have seen this site covered by other people that wondered if this is military or not, kind of hard to tell. It would appear the Chinese tried some sort of runway bombs, maybe like French Durandal bomb or dropped some PGMs to take out still stretch of concrete that resembles a runway.

Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site

By nico

(2012-12-29)

Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site is one of North Korea's primary nuclear test sites and is located in Kilju County, North Hamgyong Province. Throughout the 2000's, this site has been used for extensive nuclear device testing, most recently in 2016. Note the large grey debris pile just north of the structures, this is material removed for an extensive tunnel system.

LIW-Lyttleton Engineering Works

By nico

(2012-12-28)

I think this belongs to DENEL.

Anadyr/Gudim Nuclear Storage Facility

By nico

(2012-11-27)

http://www.gradremstroy.ru/wp-content/gallery/baza-rvsn-anadyr-1-magadan-11-v-pgudym/

Lanzhou Uranium Enrichment Plant

By nico

(2012-11-24)

There is also some photo-age from old CIA pictures:

http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/china/facility/lanzhou.htm

GRAVES transmitter Broyes les Pesmes

By nico

(2012-11-21)

GRAVES site

By nico

(2012-11-21)

GRAVES Sits on top of an old IRBM silo. It is a french spy program to locate satellites in space.

"GRAVES (Grand Réseau Adapté à la Veille Spatiale) is a French radar-based space surveillance system, akin to the American NAVSPASUR. Using radar measurements, the French Air Force is able to spot satellites orbiting the Earth and determine their orbit. The GRAVES system took 15 years to develop, and became operational in November, 2005. GRAVES is a bistatic radar system using Doppler and directional information to derive the orbits of the detected satellites."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graves_%28system%29

Mont-de-Marsan - BA 118

By nico

(2012-11-21)

Real important French base. Lots of testing done, Niemen Normandy unit with new Rafales operates there now. Also a group of Astor SAMs are located near the base.

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) rocket engine center

By nico

(2012-11-17)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48407498/ns/technology_and_science-space/t/china-tests-powerful-rocket-booster-new-engine/#.UKeprIa5VDg

Bunker finished

By nico

(2012-11-12)

The 2 roads? seem to have been removed but this bunker at the end of the longer road seems almost finished in latest imagery.

It would seem the Chinese move around these "squares", rearrange them depending on what they are trying to test.

New grid like structure

By nico

(2012-11-12)

These strange structures were not visible on 5/8/2012. They appear afterwards, very recent. Structures seem to be on top on the ground, maybe just a bunch of prefab "boxes" painted?

The 2 bunkers slightly to the north of the "grid" seem to be finished.

CW destruction facility

By nico

(2012-11-03)

The OPCW said Gaddafi's government had succeeded in destroying 54% of its declared sulphur mustard and about 40% of the precursor chemicals before operations had to be suspended in February 2011 when the destruction facility stopped working. Libya now had until 29 April 2012 to submit a detailed plan and a date by which the destruction of the materials would be completed, the OPCW added. According to an international treaty to rid the world of chemical weapons signed by Libya, stocks were supposed to be destroyed by 29 April 2012.

Alleged weapons facility destroyed

By nico

(2012-11-03)

Interesting camoflaged buildings

By nico

(2012-10-21)

These buildings are about 50 miles west of Lop Nor, maybe they are related.

China nuclear test site

By nico

(2012-10-21)

Lop Nor is China’s only nuclear weapons test site, conducts nuclear weapons training and may be a major nuclear weapons stockpile location.[1] The Lop Nor test site covers 100,000 square kilometers, making it the largest in the world by a factor of almost twenty.[2] Approximately 20,000 square kilometers have been used for nuclear testing purposes, with such a large size attributed to the full spectrum of nuclear tests conducted at this single location.

Square test area

By nico

(2012-10-19)

Very interesting to note that this new test area seems very similar to the latest US one that I found in Nevada. The Chinese is a 200 meters square compared to the US rectangle 90 by120 meters, still generally pretty close, one would believe they serve the same purposes.

Simulated Electric Grid

By nico

(2012-10-19)

This is really cool, it will be interesting to see if the Chinese just try to drop cluster bombs or if we will see some form of EMP attack.

Circular test area

By nico

(2012-10-19)

This facility consists of a circular area 300 meters in diameter. In imagery of 2005-11-03 and 2006-09-18 four fighter aircraft were present near the center of the facility. On 2007-03-25 only three aircraft were present. In addition to the aircraft, there are several small rectangular
structures near the center of the array, numerous concentrically-arranged dark markings, radial lines of small mound-like objects mostly on the south side of the circular area, and what appears to be a lattice-work mast or tower outside the area on the south.

No craters or other signs of weapons impact are apparent in the available images.

Info from PDF FAS Test Area

New hangar addition to Area 51.

By nico

(2012-10-15)

Really surprised that this hasn't been posted on VG! This is the latest new hangar built between 2005 and 2010? It is really big, 342 width by 180 depth. The opening for the doors is about 175feet? The wingspan of a B767 is 156 feet so they have some room to play with. The wingspan for a Global Hawk is 116 feet. If this is for a new high altitude UAV, USAF/CIA went big.

Could also big for a new high altitude, LONG ENDURANCE AIRSHIP like Lockheed ISIS but then the hangar is small for airship. Maybe a smaller black airship to test it?

Could also be for a new high speed vehicle that we keep hearing about....

Sort of new test grid Nevada

By nico

(2012-10-15)

I was looking at the range ring found by nic and noticed this "new"grid that was built between 2003 and 2007. It appears to be a rectangle with 6 squares horizontal and 8 squares vertical. There are 12 trucks pretty much evenly spaced. There have been some test as you can notice a relatively tight "shot" group in 2011 imagery, guessing sub-munitions/cluster bomb?

Test range for warheads and submunitions.

By nico

(2012-10-15)

This is a very interesting site with lots happening. There are 2 weird looking patterns which are supposed to be spy satellite calibration sites. There is 3 mock airfield on different sizes, shape and this square where you can see numerous impacts from warheads and sub-munitions.

Also to the west, there is LOP NOR, which is China nuke test range. To the east, you will find the 404 Plutonium Facility. To the south, you have a quite expansive ICBM range of DAQAIDAM/MAHAI. Plenty of interesting stuff.

Solar Cells? Antenna?

By jbottero

(2012-07-11)

Structures of some type up on a hill at the China Lake Naval Test Station (otherwise known as the China Lake bombing range). Solar cells? An antenna of some type? Some other kind of sensor?

Seneca Lake Sonar Test Facility

By skyeye

(2012-07-10)

The Seneca Lake Sonar Test Facility, a field station of the Naval Sea Systems Command, tests and evaluates sonar equipment. Pictured here is an instrumented test barge, the System Measurement Platform (SMP).

The Institute for Maritime Technology

By skyeye

(2012-05-21)

The Institute for Maritime Technology, a division of Armscor Defence Institutes (Pty) Ltd, performs defence research in support of the South African National Defence Force.

Space Research Corporation Quebec (former)

By skyeye

(2012-04-11)

The legendary Canadian weapons engineer Gerald Bull operated Space Research Corporation at a test site of some 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) which straddled the Canada – United States border between Highwater, Quebec, and Jay, Vermont. Here he developed and tested powerful, long-range guns. Bull was assassinated in 1990.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Bull
http://ludb.clui.org/ex/i/VT9998/

Space Research Corporation (former)

By skyeye

(2012-04-11)

The legendary Canadian weapons engineer Gerald Bull operated Space Research Corporation at a test site of some 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) which straddled the Canada – United States border between Highwater, Quebec, and Jay, Vermont. Here he developed and tested powerful, long-range guns. Bull was assassinated in 1990.

Related:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Bull
http://ludb.clui.org/ex/i/VT9998/

High Explosive Test Chamber

By Parabellum

(2012-03-14)

ISIS has identified in commercial satellite imagery a building on the Parchin site in Iran that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) wants to visit because it contains, or used to contain, a high-explosive test chamber (see figure 1). The building is located on a relatively small and isolated compound within the Parchin military site and has its own perimeter security wall or fencing. A berm can be seen between this building and a neighboring one, which is consistent with a description of the compound in the November 8, 2011 IAEA Safeguards Report.

One Two Three Four...

By jbottero

(2011-10-30)

Who knows...