[3] By February 1945,[2] land was being acquired[4] for the North Range in the Black Rock Desert which was 1,122 sq mi (2,910 km2) that included 64.4 sq mi (167 km2) of "Patented" (leased private) land.

[6] The 1942[verification needed] area of 973 sq mi (2,520 km2) in the Black Rock Desert for World War II USAAF aerial gunnery[5] (Targets 25, 26, 27 in areas 1, 2, 3)[7] was used for a 1949 Navy range of 745 sq mi (1,930 km2) that was reactivated near Sulphur, Nevada.

[5] After a 1955 request by congressman Clair Engle,[5] the Black Rock Desert Gunnery Range was closed by 1964.

[9] Used for "only machine gun" fire, the 547,906 acres (856.103 sq mi) "Basic Sahwave air-to-air gunnery range" was in use by October 1958.

[10] On 25 October 1976, after an INS platform failure during night training, Lockheed SR-71A, 61-7965, (Article 2016) was lost near Lovelock.