From: skunk-works-digest-owner@mail.orst.edu To: skunk-works-digest@mail.orst.edu Subject: Skunk Works Digest V5 #244 Reply-To: skunk-works-digest@mail.orst.edu Errors-To: skunk-works-digest-owner@mail.orst.edu Precedence: bulk Skunk Works Digest Tuesday, 18 April 1995 Volume 05 : Number 244 In this issue: A sampling of classified programs See the end of the digest for information on subscribing to the skunk-works or skunk-works-digest mailing lists and on how to retrieve back issues. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: TRADER@cup.portal.com Date: Mon, 17 Apr 95 00:03:39 PDT Subject: A sampling of classified programs A sampling of classified programs - ------------------------------- by Paul McGinnis, April 16, 1995 I am a researcher into classified U.S. military programs. As a way of gaining some knowledge of classified ("black") programs, since December 1994, I've been keeping some tabs on highly classified programs that are listed in "Commerce Business Daily". For those who are unfamiliar with this publication, I should explain that CBD lists government contracts that are available. I used keyword searching through a computerized form of CBD, looking for words like Top Secret, SCI (Sensitive Compartmented Information, used for intelligenc e contracts), Special Access Required (SAR, a type of classified program that has extremely tight access controls), and other words of interest. I put this list together, just to show taxpayers how the U.S government is planning to spend your money in secret. So, let's sample what's in Uncle Sam's "black" hat... * CBD issue PSA-1239, date: 12/09/94 [Part of one of the most secretive intelligence operations around, the U.S. Atomic Energy Detection System USAEDS) , is the Air Force Technical Applications Center at Patrick AFB. They put out a contract for technical and engineering support. Classified at the Top Secret SCI level]. "AFTAC efforts involve the comprehensive research, development, and operation and maintenance of systems to increase the understanding of the complicated technical problems associated with the detection and identification of nuclear events in the atmosphere, underground, and in space (including analysis of data collected by these systems)." * CBD issue PSA-1243, date: 12/15/94 [the Army's Vint Hill Farms Station in Warrenton, Virginia listed a contract for "communications equipment". Vint Hill Farms Stations is a National Security Agency (NSA) SIGINT (Signals Intelligence) post. Contract is classified at the Top Secret/SI (Special Intelligence) level.] "The RFP will entail three (3) major efforts: (1) Integration of Government Furnished and Contractor provided IEW sensor subsystems into Government furnished carriers (platforms); (2) production of the TACJAM-A Electronic Support (ES) sensor subsystem; (3) and production of the CHALS-X Communications Precision Location subsystem." * CBD issue PSA-1284, date: 02/15/95 [the Military Sealift Command at the Washington Navy Yard listed a Top Secret contract to operate and maintain 10 TAGOS (??) ships. My guess is that TAGOS is some kind of intelligence gathering ship. Anyone know anything about the Top Secret TAGOS program?] * CBD issue PSA-1287, date: 02/21/95 [the following Top Secret/SCI contract was listed:] "The Headquarters US Army Intelligence and Security Command (USAINSCOM) [at Fort Belvoir, Virginia] intends to procure research and manufacturing services to identify, synthesize, and test toxic chemical, smoke, and flame agents and related equipment as well as to develop computer programs to store, retrieve and manipulate chemical warfare information. * CBD issue PSA-1288, date: 02/22/95 [Andrews AFB in Maryland has a Top Secret contract for work on the HF (shortwave) and satellite communications system code-named MYSTIC STAR that is used on Air Force One, and other aircraft used by government officials.] * CBD issue PSA-1289, date: 02/23/95 and CBD issue PSA-1316, date: 04/03/95 [A contract for research, operation, maintenance, and support for the Air Force's Maui Space Surveillance System. This site, and a similar site near Socorro, NM (a source indicated this site was near Stallion AAF) have powerful telescopes that are used to identify and study foreign satellites.) Classified at the Top Secret level.] "The MSSS consists of the Maui Optical Tracking and Identification Facility (MOTIF) and the Air Force Maui Optical System (AMOS). The Advanced Electro-Optical System (AEOS) is in the development and construction stages." * CBD issue Issue PSA-1296, date: 03/06/95 and CBD issue PSA-1301, date: 03/13/95 [the Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office (DARO) operation at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, listed a contract for engineering and technical analysis support, classified at the Top Secret/SCI level. A lot of people may not be aware that DARO was created in the last few years to manage U.S. reconnaissance aircraft, the same way the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) manages our spy satellites. DARO is currently involved with classified UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) programs, such as the Lockheed/Boeing Tier 3- that will roll out in June 1995, assets such as the RC-135 COBRA BALL aircraft, and there are rumors that they are agency studying a high speed SR-71 follow-on. On e rumor is that this vehicle is the aircraft known by the code-word OMEGA (Progra m Element 0207591F), which is reported to be a high speed Trans Atmospheric Vehicle (TAV).] * CBD issue PSA-1308, date: 03/22/95 [Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) in Arlington, Virginia is looking for engineering test and evaluation of the VLF (Very Low Frequency) communcations systems used to send launch orders to Trident ballistic missile submarines and others. Classified at the Top Secret level.] * CBD issue PSA-1310, date: 03/24/95 [an avionics package for the F-22, classified as a Secret/Special Access Required program, for Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio] "Airborne Communications, Navigation, Identification (CNI) systems of currently fielded aircraft are becoming cost, size, and weight prohibitive, they are difficult to upgrade to meet new requirements and the dynamic threat environments... The objective of the Integrated CNI Subsystem (ICNIS) program is to investigate technology risk areas for transitioning integrated modular hardware and software assets being developed under the F-22 program to currently fielded aircraft... Specifically, the ICNIS architecture must be capable of: supporting fault tolerance, including dynamic reconfiguration, and being programmable, to allow new waveforms to be added in software, and being expandable, so that additional modules can be added to cover other frequency bands." * CBD issue PSA-1311, date: 03/27/95 and issue PSA-1317 date: 04/04/95, [engineering technical services needed for the Space Warfare Center, Peterson AFB, Colorado, for TENCAP (Tactical Exploitation of National Capabilities, i.e., the use of spy satellite imagery by tactical units), classified as a Top Secret/Special Access Required/SCI program] Paul McGinnis / TRADER@cup.portal.com / PaulMcG@aol.com If you're interested in receiving the NEON AZIMUTH, my electronic newsletter on the "sources and methods" that can be used to uncover secret military programs, send a mail message. ********************************************************************** Anonymous FTP access to files dealing with excessive military secrecy is available from Internet host ftp.shell.portal.com (IP address 156.151.3.4) in the /pub/trader directory. Read the 00readme files for descriptions of the files. Writings from Glenn Campbell, author of the "Area 51 Viewer's Guide" are available in /pub/trader/secrecy/psychospy. (America Online users can use Keyword:FTP, and Web users can use URL ftp://ftp.shell.portal.com/pub/trader/ ) ------------------------------ End of Skunk Works Digest V5 #244 ********************************* To subscribe to skunk-works-digest, send the command: subscribe skunk-works-digest in the body of a message to "majordomo@mail.orst.edu". If you want to subscribe something other than the account the mail is coming from, such as a local redistribution list, then append that address to the "subscribe" command; for example, to subscribe "local-skunk-works": subscribe skunk-works-digest local-skunk-works@your.domain.net To unsubscribe, send mail to the same address, with the command: unsubscribe skunk-works-digest in the body. 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