July 1, 1950🇺🇸Program
ScienceHead of State

Nevada Test Site: Project Nutmeg Concludes Site Selection

The Armed Forces Special Weapons Project completed its classified feasibility study in July 1950, recommending the Las Vegas Bombing and Gunnery Range in Nevada as the continental atomic weapons testing location, which President Truman subsequently approved.

Date
July 1, 1950
Location
Nevada, USA🇺🇸
Type
Program
Country
🇺🇸 United States
Map

Background

Project Nutmeg Study The Armed Forces Special Weapons Project (AFSWP) concluded its top-secret feasibility study, codenamed Project Nutmeg, in July 1950. This multi-year investigation sought to identify a suitable continental location for atomic weapons testing within the United States.

Site Selection and Recommendation Following extensive evaluation of multiple candidate sites, AFSWP determined that a portion of the Air Force's Las Vegas Bombing and Gunnery Range in Nevada represented the optimal choice for establishing a permanent nuclear testing facility. The selected area would later become known as Frenchman Flat.

Presidential Approval President Harry S. Truman approved the recommended location, formally establishing the Nevada Proving Ground on December 18, 1950. This decision marked the beginning of continental nuclear weapons testing in the United States, with the first test, Shot Able, conducted on January 27, 1951.

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