A Risk to National Security?

The "black" aircraft possibly under development at Area 51
Blackairplanes_blog_1
Nick Kaloterakis

In his investigation of the super-secret "black" aircraft possibly under development at the U.S. Air Force base known as Area 51 (on the cover of our October issue and available online now), PopSci's resident military aviation guru Bill Sweetman writes:

The need for such secrecy is simple: It is essential to preserving technological surprise. The Pentagon wishes to prevent enemies from developing strategies to
counter the technology. The challenge is to figure out what precisely
is happening—without betraying national security—because the bigger the black world gets, the better it conceals its activities.

But if the programs themselves are shrouded in absolute secrecy, does intelligent speculation by a veteran analyst itself represent a risk to national security? Sweetman himself points out that his investigation is "inescapably an educated guess," but what if he's managed to guess more or less correctly?

Take a look at the article and let us know what you think in the comments section below.

157 Comments

Comments

James Goodwin ...
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Very interesting piece. I have wondered what had been developed as a F-117 surrogate fighter/Bomber and I was thinking aobut a two seat stealth attack fighter with the carriage capability of 4 2000 lb JDAM type Laser guided bombs and a longer range than the stock F-117. If they built the A-12, it probably was the Boeing Phantom Works site in St Louis with components airlifted to Tonopah by nightly C-17 flights for final assembly.

In designing classified aircraft, you will always be prototyping on a constant basis. That means a limited run production of 4 airframes each contract to allow for attrition in an aggressive test program. To further enhance creativity, you must continue to fund and create black aircraft and see what you have devised before making a decision on further limited production runs aimed at squadron strength like it was done on the F-117 program in the 1980's.

Whether or not they built an operational squadron is up for grabs as the only place it could be based is in the 72 shelters at Tonopah made available when F-117's were relocated to Holloman AFB. You could not base an A-12 on a USN Nimitz class carrier as you would be "outing" the plane from the black world.

It would be nice to see the crations of the black world as it helps validate the worth of the billions of dollars spent on faith in the programs. It takes a lot for someone to tell a Congressman that he or she cannot divulge the reason for the spending request on a classified program and to trust them that they are doing the right thing and not wasting the money.

A succesful black program cannot be judged soley on wasted money as that is often chalked to a learning experience. The only way we can learn is to make the mistakes and spend the money to find the technology you want to have. We cannot penalize our children for taking the risks in academic programs as it is the only way they learn and develop their talents. Same for black budget operators.

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Matt (imported)
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You know, all this stuff is interesting, but really, security comes first in my list of priorities, well, it comes ahead of speculation.

If there's no security, there is no country or freedom to defend anymore.

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Gregorio Wheel...
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Secret programs are secret for a variety of reasons, some perhaps security related, and others perhaps political. But the fact is that most black ops programs have successfully kept the veil in place until conditions were ready for disclosure. I doubt that the main target of secrecy are curious onlookers and techie types who would love to be in on cutting edge science. Whatever speculation goes on in the press or between individuals, secrecy would have failed miserably if amateurs could so easily discern the truth. Don’t you think that every technologically advanced country in the world wants to know our secrets even more? Does anyone honestly think such countries don’t already know more than we gossipers could possibly guess with our peephole level of data? I think a “don’t look, don’t talk, and don’t think” mentality only fuels paranoia and probably enhances even more speculation. I am personally sick to death of tens of billions of our scarce tax dollars going down rabbit holes for which no one is accountable. That is a political secret worth busting wide open.

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God'sChild (im...
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Testing Post Capabilities.

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God'sChild (im...
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Yes, it most definetly is a Risk to National Security! If we, the people, in a Nation is that is to be for the people, dont know, then, how can we be a Nation , being Secure? as a Nation of God, All of us, to be United in Unity through God, we have to know what is going on, and not to allow murder killings overseas, it is a very bad things to dehumanize ourselves by just sitting back and not even thinking or praying about it, pray for the people of the world to Unite, to extend out their hands, and put down their guns, we dont need guns, we need peace, everything comes thereafter! :-) Peace! One Love from God, Creator, Lover of Mankind!

He Forgives, Peace and True Happiness

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Gerry (imported)
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This is beyond irresposible! This type of reporting borderes on giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Shame on you.
It is pathetic that htis is how you make your living; attempting to uncover secret military information that will only benefit those who wish to do us harm. Try doing something that benefits your country.

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Nekultura (imp...
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Speculation is perfectly normal in a free, open society. The one caveat would be not to do as the New York Times and other publications have done, and reveal actual programs, projects or technologies that can tip off our enemies.

Other than Russians and Chinese, no other nation can hope to catch up with our last generation aircraft, much less the ever-evolving Aurora and other systems that are five generations ahead of what has been revealed so far.

Speculation keeps everyone involved on their toes; our potential future adversaries probably speculate even more.

Don't forget -- some "leaks" are meant to point the bad guys down the wrong path!

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Matthew (imported)
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I only see it as a threat against national security when the people don’t know what there government is doing with our tax dollars. Sure the "enemy" can also read about our technology & capabilities but that’s better then only a hand full people or special groups knowing & having access to great power. The enemy isnt always on the other side of the ocean. Foreign & domestic enemies are everywhere and sometimes they even exist inside the government (some say they are the only real enemy again humanity). I want to know what my government, that represents me and my country so that they act accordingly and in the peoples best interests. Don’t forget, through-out human history of conflict, farmers with pitch forks with a better cause have always prevailed over any enemy dispite its advanced technologies... Good will always prevail over evil... I dont believe in a "God" but I do believe in good & evil. Information is free and secrets are shadows of deceit and pathways to evil acts. If you want peace, prepare for war but know what all sides are capable of. If our enemy has a weapon that can destroy us better then we can prevent them or be forced to destroy them, I want to know about it. Besides, there are no winners in war... there is no such thing as an enemy because we are all human beings. Its secrets and this mentality that one human is better then the other that’s preventing our species from advancing faster and improving our chances of survival... survival not just from "enemies" but from natural occurrences that have no emotions, they just annihilate. Asteroids, hurricanes, and the after effects of a burrito.

1 out of 1 people found this comment helpful
DEAN (imported)
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The greatest risk according to Dwight Esinhower is the power and secrecy industrial/military complex.
May I remind everyone that Boeing has antigravity technology that they have published.
Now how does a aircraft engineering devise anitgravity???
I for one have no doubt that these vehicles that are presented in this article are no where near the actual capabilities of their true arsenal.
I am firmly convinced that alien technology is in the hands of AREA 51 and is backengineered into the industrial complex as rightful patents.
May I suggest the Disclosure Project of Dr. Green.

If Boeing is releasing antigravity details to the public now, then they were doing antigravity in AREA 51 quite a long time ago.

Like Esinhower stated the biggest threat to the Constitution is the industrial/military complex.

911 and national security are a deteriation of personal freedom and civil rights and liberties.

0 out of 0 people found this comment helpful
Dean (imported)
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The greatest risk according to Dwight Esinhower is the power and secrecy of the industrial/military complex.
May I remind everyone that Boeing has antigravity technology that they have published.
Now how does a aircraft engineering devise anitgravity?
I for one have no doubt that these vehicles that are presented in this article are no where near the actual capabilities of their true arsenal.
I am firmly convinced that alien technology is in the hands of AREA 51 and is back engineered into the industrial complex as rightful patents.
May I suggest a full reading of the Disclosure Project of Dr. Green.

If Boeing is releasing antigravity details to the public now, then they were doing antigravity in AREA 51 quite a long time ago.

Like Esinhower stated the biggest threat to the Constitution is the industrial/military complex.

Unfortunately 911 and national security have caused a deteriation of personal freedom and civil rights and liberties.

0 out of 0 people found this comment helpful
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