- Man films rare RAT55 jet over Area 51 from 26 miles away atop Tikaboo peak
- RAT55 performs touch-and-go on runway 32, then taxis to Hangar 18 at Area 51
- RAT55 tests stealth capabilities of aircraft like B-2 and B-21, using call sign Sabre 98
A man recently captured a rare sighting of the US Air Force's secretive RAT55 jet flying over Area 51 in Nevada, a site notorious for conspiracy theories. According to Daily Mail, photographer Michael Rokita captured fuzzy footage of the RAT55 from 26 miles away atop Tikaboo peak, showing the plane performing touch-and-go manoeuvres before landing on runway 32 and taxiing to Hangar 18, the largest hangar in Area 51.
Speculation has long surrounded Hangar 18 at Area 51, with theories suggesting the government conducts secret projects there. The most enduring rumor is that the hangar stores evidence of crashed UFOs and extraterrestrial life, including alien technology. It's also believed to be involved in top-secret aerospace programs, fueling ongoing speculation and intrigue.
Notably, the RAT55 is a highly modified aircraft used to collect radar data on stealthy aircraft in flight, often working in conjunction with other secretive programs. It is known to operate covertly, using the call sign "Sabre 98," and only flies in restricted airspace, including areas where it disables its tracking device and disappears from radar.
The RAT55 is identifiable by its distinctive nose and humpbacked shape. Its primary role is to test the stealth capabilities of other aircraft in mid-air, operating covertly in restricted airspace, often with its transponder disabled to avoid detection. This secretive work may have supported projects like the RQ-80 drone
As per the report, Mr Rokita confirmed RAT 55's call sign is 'Sabre 98,' a smoking-gun link tying the mysterious jet to Area 51's secretive Hangar 18. Despite technical challenges and harsh desert conditions, the photographer used a Nikon P1000 and a custom binocular-smartphone setup to photograph the radar-testing aircraft. The RAT55 is believed to measure the stealth capabilities of various aircraft, including the B-2 and B-21 Raider. Its rare appearances and association with Area 51 fuel long-standing conspiracy theories about the base's secret activities.
In April, a story emerged about Jerry Freeman, a cultural researcher who unintentionally trespassed into a restricted area of Area 51 and survived to share his account. Mr Freeman had been searching for lost 1849 Gold Rush journals near the Nevada base in 1996 and sneaked in under the cover of night. Instead of finding historical writings, he claimed to have possibly encountered an alien spacecraft, as reported to UFO researcher George Knapp.
"It looked like a dry lake bed to me, nothing else, but at night it was a different story. I could clearly see what were security lights on the perimeters and I could see lights that opened and closed near the centre of the lake,” Mr Freeman told George Knapp.
For decades, Area 51 was shrouded in secrecy, with its existence denied by the government. However, in 2013, the US government officially acknowledged the base's existence. Despite this revelation, conspiracy theories surrounding Area 51's alleged connection to extraterrestrial life continue to thrive.
