From: rkrouse@octel.com (Robert Rouse) Newsgroups: alt.alien.visitors Subject: follow up on black budget -- lots of info! Message-ID: <1993Jun9.160029.17821@octel.com> Date: 9 Jun 93 16:00:29 GMT Organization: Octel Communications Corporation Lines: 131 X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL7] [ Article crossposted from sci.skeptic ] [ Author was Paul Vincent McGinnis ] [ Posted on Tue, 8 Jun 93 02:15:12 PDT ] NOTE: the following article contains material extracted from public documents - - don't flame me for "violating national security!!!" It discusses the "Aurora" spy plane, military "black" budgets, and even includes neutron beam weapons!! This is a follow-up to previous messages I had posted on the subject of the "Aurora" hypersonic spy plane and the Dept. of Defense's "black" budget. In an earlier posting I mentioned that Item #15 in the Defense Critical Technologies Plan was for "pulsed power". This was based on a one-page summary in Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine, p. 57, May 20, 1991. I had assumed that "pulsed power" referred to the pulsating engines of "Aurora" I tried to get the document in question, for 1992, as mentioned in the article. I guess the local document depository has a limited budget, because they didn't have it. However, I did read the Defense Critical Technologies Plan for fiscal year '91 (DOD document # AD-A219 300). Item #15 (Pulsed Power) describes high-energy weapons including rail guns (electromagnetic launchers in DOD terminology) and neutral particle beams (which I had thought were impossible). But back to "Aurora" - Item #14 in the Defense Critical Technologies Plan describes air-breathing propulsion systems and includes this remark on page A-154 : "Hypersonic aircraft have the potential to enhance military capability to make high-speed intercepts and timely reconnaissance. Hypersonic air-breathing technology is the second highest priority effort in this area." To get more of a feel for how "black" programs operate, I read several reports prepared by the House Armed Services Committee about defense procurement, the Navy's cancelled A-12 Stealth fighter (the drawing of it looks like a two-man flying pizza slice), and the B-2 Stealth fighter (which indicated that key members of Congress knew a good deal and appear to have supported it because subcontracts were given in 46 states and affected 383 Congressional districts). Unfortunately a lot of the testimony had phrases like "we can't discuss that in open session, we'll have to talk about it in the vault at the top of the Capitol" particularly when discussing how the B-2 wasn't as stealthy as it was supposed to be. Reading the budget documents shows me that the aerospace press may be mistaken in identifying "Aurora" as "Senior Citizen". According to the '93 budget, "Senior Citizen" is listed as a tactical aircraft (presumably the TR-3A) while another project (under intelligence funding) describes "Senior Year" operations. So, "Aurora" may actually be "Senior Year" Without further adieu, here's a list of really secret Defense research & development programs taken from the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1993 (House of Representatives Report 102-527). I bet you could have all sorts of fun asking military types what these things are at a cocktail party... Note: code names such as "Senior Citizen" are given in quotes. Agency Description Program element # ------- ----------- ------------------ ****** Technology base programs ****** Army "Tractor Field" 0602123A Army electronic warfare technology 0602270A ****** Strategic programs ****** Army special programs 0102814A Army classified program 0102830A Army classified program 0102831A Army world-wide military 0303152A communications & control system Air Force "Olympic" 0603105F Air Force special evaluation program 0603110F Air Force "Meridian" 0603115F Air Force advanced strategic programs 0101815F Air Force classified program 0102830F Air Force classified program 0102831F Air Force special applications programs 0305124F Air Force special analysis activities 0305892F ****** Tactical programs ****** Army nuclear munitions - advanced 0603604A development Army armament enhancement initiative 0603639A Army electronic warfare development 0604270A Army classified program - advanced 0603754A development Air Force technical evaluation system 0603107F Air Force joint tactical fusion program 0604321F Air Force "Constant Help" 0207137F Air Force "Seek Clock" 0207169F Air Force special tactical unit 0207248F detachments Air Force "Copper Coast" 0207424F Air Force tactical improvement program 0207433F Air Force "Omega" 0207591F Air Force "Have Flag" 0208042F Air Force "Centennial" 0305142F Air Force "Senior Citizen" 0401316F ****** Intelligence and communications ****** Army special Army program 0301359A Army foreign counterintelligence 0305127A activities Navy technical reconnaissance 0301327N & surveillance Navy communications security (COMSEC) 0303401N Navy special activities 0304111N Air Force intelligence production 0301305F activities Air Force foreign technology division 0301310F Air Force infrared/electro-optical/directed 0301314F energy weapons Air Force missile & space technical 0301315F collection Air Force "Senior Year" operations 0301317F Air Force "Forest Green" 0301324F Air Force intelligence telecom & defense 0301339F special security Air Force NUDET detection system 0301357F Air Force communications security (COMSEC) 0303401F Air Force special activities 0304111F Air Force defense reconnaissance support 0305159F DOD cryptologic activities 0301011G DOD general defense intelligence 0301301L DOD communications security (COMSEC) 0303401G DOD defense reconnaissance support 0305159G DOD computer security 0305167G DOD intelligence planning & review 0305884L DOD tactical cryptologic activities 0305885G Now that I have budget info, I will try and work backwards through the budget to get a ballpark cost for these programs. As can be seen above, the Air Force is the worst offender for hiding their programs, with the Navy only hiding the cost of programs that need to be really secret. Now, I have some material to put together a FOIA request as a taxpayer!! Paul McGinnis / TRADER@cup.portal.com