Not only are there underground military bases in the United States, but these deep underground military bases have the capabilities to command and control troops, missiles, and equipment.
Believe it or not, there are also underground hangars for aircraft.
When you think of deep underground military bases, you might only think of a safe pace for people of power to ride out whatever is happening above ground.
However, the possibilities for subterranean capabilities are extraordinary, as is the training involved in underground combat capabilities.
We likely only know a few deep underground military bases due to security reasons.
Also, we are aware of steps the Armed Forces are taking to be well-trained in subterranean warfare.
It’s an entirely different world below ground.
Related Article – List of Marine Corps Bases in the US
Table of Contents
Who Runs These Deep Underground Military Bases?
For the most part, the Department of Defense (DOD) handles the deep underground military bases.
However, the Department of Defense does not control all of them.
For example, a different department handles the Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center.
1. Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center
For instance, the Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, is an installation for the Department of Homeland Security.
FEMA handles the above-ground installations and training.
Also, the below-ground accommodations are for the President of the United States and vital government officials in a nuclear attack.
Think of Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center as the setting for an apocalyptic situation.
Although, some government officials went to this installation during the 9/11 attacks.
Related Article – Military Bases in Virginia
2. Raven Rock Mountain Complex
In the 1940s, the United States had concerns about having a place to evacuate in the case of an emergency.
The United States government built Raven Rock inside of a mountain. The facility is a self-contained city with a fire department and services.
Also, a dining area and medical facilities are a part of the structure. Think f this facility as a fully functioning underground city.
Raven Rock lost its charm during the Cold War in the 1990s, but the facility is back in action since the attacks on September 11th.
Today, Raven Rock is 650 acres, and the facility is a deep underground military base. This base works as a nuclear shelter and a place to command the country in the event of a crisis.
The facility is in Pennsylvania, and it is near the Blue Ridge Summit.
Publically, there are agencies involved with this deep underground military base.
One of the publically acknowledged agencies is the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). DISA handles the capabilities of joint warfare.
In addition, this agency works to test and operate the ability of those in command to communicate with one another.
The capability to communicate is instrumental in a crisis.
Also, this underground military base works in conjunction with the Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center and the Cheyenne Mountain Complex.
3. Cheyenne Mountain Complex
The Cheyenne Mountain Complex is a deep underground military base located near Colorado Springs.
The Air Force Space Command handles this facility, although it is a joint effort with other government organizations.
Also, the facility not only supports the Space Command it also supports Peterson Air Force Base.
The facility’s mission and the 21st Space Wing include handling missile warnings and keeping track of space objects.
Also, the mission includes supporting troops.
The Cheyenne Mountain Complex is a deep underground military base with some exciting features.
The mountain is granite, and six tunnels lead to the facility.
Also, the tunnels themselves are a massive three stories tall.
The facility is strong enough to handle nuclear bombs and electromagnetic pulses.
The doors to the facility are over three feet thick, as well.
Also, if you are a movie buff or like video games, the Cheyenne Mountain Complex is in one of the Call of Duty games and a part of many movies, including Independence Day and First Strike.
Related Article – Military Bases in Colorado
Nuclear Missile Silos
We cannot discuss deep underground military bases without mentioning underground nuclear missile silos.
A missile launch silo is underground, and it is a vertical structure that stores and launches missiles meant to reach other continents.
The top of the silos has a blast door that opens at the top. Usually, these blast doors open electronically, and there is a missile control area that operates the silos.
Many underground missile silos are in remote areas of the Dakotas, Montano, Colorado, and Wyoming, to name a few.
The Space Force handles the operation of many of the nuclear missile silos.
In addition, the Space Force uses satellite and ground-based systems to watch for missile attacks and to keep North America safe.
Related Article – Air Force Missile And Space Facilities (2M0X3)
Bonus Underwater Military Base: Aquarius Reef Base
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While not a deep underground military base, the Aquarius Reef Base deserves an honorable mention.
The Aquarius Reef Base, ran by Florida International University, is in Key West.
A Navy saturation diver is the ‘father’ of this sealab, and the goal is for Aquarius to study marine life and the coral reef.
Researchers use the lab to understand better the composition of seawater and everything related to marine life.
The lab’s setup is entirely underwater, and the researchers are saturation divers.
The divers live underwater, which means they are under deep pressure. Divers cannot just go from deep water to surface level without dying.
Therefore, the divers live in a pressurized lab and use a hyperbaric chamber to come back up to surface-level pressure over a long period.
Saturation divers, or aquanauts, avoid the dangers of decompression sickness by staying underwater while they work.
Several government agencies use and benefit from the Aquarius Reef Base, including the Navy and NASA.
The Aquarius Reef Base is a training platform and a remote telemedicine testing facility. Also, it is a way to push the human limits in unfriendly environments.
Training for Deep Underground Military Bases
The United States is not the only country with deep underground military bases.
Therefore, the United States must prepare troops by training them for underground fighting.
As other countries and the United States work to advance their capabilities to wage war and protect citizens from beneath the ground, troops must learn new skills.
For instance, breaching obstacles in an underground environment is entirely different than above ground.
Plus, communication with one another is a challenge.
Furthermore, underground walkways and tunnels can be confusing.
The environment itself is a challenge.
For instance, you might expect subpar air quality, darkness, and even tight spaces. Yet, at the same time, soldiers must effectively navigate all these challenges and still meet their objectives.
To meet the challenges of the mission, soldiers must have training in different weapons.
Also, there is a need for continued practice navigating dangerous underground conditions.
Underground warfighting is different between equipment and tactical warfare.
Currently, urban warfare covers some underground procedures because of subway tunnels and sewer systems.
However, deep underground military bases are a completely different situation.
Therefore, there is an effort to train troops for underground warfare.
The Department of Defense set up several training areas that are underground.
These training environments are above-ground in some cases but are mock-ups of what a soldier might expect to see underground.
Conclusion
While there are military bases worldwide, there are three recognized underground military bases in the United States.
The Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center is a Department of Homeland Security installation.
This underground base is where vital government officials go in the case of a crisis.
Also, the Raven Rock Mountain Complex and the Cheyenne Mountain Complex are two bases run by the Department of Defense.
All three of these bases can communicate with one another in the event of a national crisis.
Also, there are several nuclear missile silos in the United States. These silos are not necessarily underground bases, but the Space Forces use them to launch intercontinental missiles remotely.
Lastly, the Aquarius Reef Base is an underwater installation run by a university. This facility cooperates with both NASA and the Navy for training and research.
With all of the above said, there’s no doubt that there are potentially dozens, if not 100’s, of other secret underground military facilities and installations that we simply don’t know about.
See Also
Air Force Space Systems Operations (1C6X1): Career Profile
References:
Born and raised in Woodbridge, NJ, he graduated from the New Jersey Institute Of Technology with an MBA in eCommerce.His hobbies include beach volleyball, target shooting, and lifting.
Rob is also a Commercially rated pilot and Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), with over 1,500 hours of flight time.
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